Mecardonia
{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}}
{{Automatic taxobox
|image = Mecardonia procumbens habit.jpg
|image_caption = Mecardonia procumbens
|taxon = Mecardonia
|subdivision_ranks = Species
|subdivision_ref = [https://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=profile&symbol=MECAR&display=31 USDA][http://www.theplantlist.org/browse/A/Plantaginaceae/Mecardonia/ The Plant List]
|subdivision = Mecardonia acuminata
Mecardonia procumbens
syn. M ovata, M dianthera
}}
File:Axilflower (Mecardonia acuminata subsp. peninsularis) (6303367471).jpg
Mecardonia (axilflower) is a genus of herbaceous plants in the family Plantaginaceae. 31 species have been described,[http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/search?q=Macardonia Mecardonia on PlantList]
of which 12 are accepted. Its distribution is predominantly in South America, and South East United States, including Florida
[http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/Genus.aspx?id=766 Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants: Mecardonia]
and Alabama[http://southeastgarden.com/mecardonia.html Gardening in the Coastal Southeast]
[http://www.floraofalabama.org/Genus.aspx?id=2496 Alabama Plant Atlas: Mecardonia]
but may be found as far north as Virginia.
[http://vaplantatlas.org/index.php?do=plant&plant=2991 Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora](see map)[http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40015306?tab=maps Map of distribution]
Five species are found in Argentina[http://www.ejbiotechnology.info/index.php/ejbiotechnology/article/view/v9n3-6/290 Alderete, L.; Mori, M.; Kato, A.; Escandón, A.. Establishment of an in vitro micropropagation protocol for Mecardonia tenella. Electronic Journal of Biotechnology, North America, 915 06 2006. ] and three in the US.[http://udini.proquest.com/view/systematics-of-the-mecardonia-goid:304834149/ Adjoa Richardson Ahedor. Systematics of the Mecardonia acuminata (tribe Gratioleae, Plantaginaceae) complex of southeastern USA]
Description
They are herbaceous procumbent glabrous plants. They are mostly blackened when they are dry. Their stems are 5–40 cm in length and they have 4-alate leaves. Ovate leaves 7–25 mm in length and 3–16 mm wide, with a crenate edge; petiolate. Solitary axillary flowers, pedicles 8-20 (-26) mm in length, basally bibracteolate; 5-lobed calyx, with unequal lobes, more or less free to the base, imbricate, the adaxial lobe widely lanceate to ovate, 5–9.5 mm long and 3–6 mm wide, slightly accrescent, the 2 middle lobes longer and overlapping, the 2 abaxial lobes nearly the same size as the adaxial and overlapping the middle lobes; 5-lobed corolla, 7–8 mm long, yellow with purple at the throat, bearded at the mouth; 4 fertile stamens. Ovoid fruit capsule, 5–7 mm long, loculicidal; ovoid, reticulated seeds.
Taxonomy
The genus was described by Ruiz & Pav., published in Florae Peruvianae, et Chilensis Prodromus 95. 1794.
{{cite web |url=http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40015306 |title= Mecardonia |accessdate=20 January 2013 |publisher= Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden}}[http://reflora.jbrj.gov.br/jabot/listaBrasil/ConsultaPublicaUC/ConsultaPublicaUC.do Forzza, R. C. et al. 2010. 2010 Lista de espécies Flora do Brasil.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140326002311/http://reflora.jbrj.gov.br/jabot/listaBrasil/ConsultaPublicaUC/ConsultaPublicaUC.do |date=2014-03-26 }}
The type species is: Mecardonia procumbens Ruiz & Pav. The genus is named after Antonio Meca y Cardona, who founded the botanical gardens in Barcelona, in 1784.[http://w110.bcn.cat/portal/site/MediAmbient/menuitem.0d4d06202ea41e13e9c5e9c5a2ef8a0c/?vgnextoid=ad50bbb98466a210VgnVCM10000074fea8c0RCRD&vgnextchannel=6de179583ad1a210VgnVCM10000074fea8c0RCRD&lang=en_GB Barcelona: Pel medi ambient. Universitat Gardens]Idárraga-Piedrahita, A., R. D. C. Ortiz, R. Callejas Posada & M. Merello. (eds.) 2011. Fl. Antioquia: Cat. 2: 9–939. Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín.
Rossow (1987) in his taxonomic revision of the genus, recognized ten species. A new species, M kamogawae, was identified in Argentina by Greppi and Hagiwara (2011).
Cultivation
Sold as an ornamental garden flower, such as Mecardonia Magic Carpet Yellow, as annuals in colder areas.
Species
- Mecardonia acuminata (Walter) Small.
- Mecardonia acuminata acuminata
- Mecardonia acuminata peninsularis
- Mecardonia acuminata microphylla.
- Mecardonia berroi Marchesi
- Mecardonia caespitosa (Cham.) Pennell
- Mecardonia exilis (Brandegee) Pennell
- Mecardonia flagellaris (Cham. & Schltdl.) Rossow
- Mecardonia grandiflora (Benth.) Pennell
- Mecardonia herniarioides (Cham.) Pennell
- Mecardonia procumbens (Mill.) Small
- Mecardonia pubescens Rossow
- Mecardonia serpylloides (Cham. & Schltdl.) Pennell
- Mecardonia tenella (Cham. & Schltdl.) Pennell
References
{{Reflist|3}}
Sources
- Rossow, R. A. 1987. Revisión del género Mecardonia (Scrophulariaceae). Candollea 42: 431–474.
- [http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1744-7429.2009.00529.x/abstract Cappellari, S. C., Harter-Marques, B., Aumeier, P. and Engels, W. (2009), Mecardonia tenella (Plantaginaceae) Attracts Oil-, Perfume-, and Pollen-Gathering Bees in Southern Brazil. Biotropica, 41: 721–729. doi: 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2009.00529.x]
- [https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2FBF03052978.pdf Krishne Gowda, M Magaraj. Embryological studies in Mecardonia procumbens (Miller) small. Proceedings: Plant Sciences February 1983, Volume 92, Issue 1, pp 5-18]
- [http://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/cytologia1929/34/2/34_2_169/_pdf Kaul, M. L. H. Cytogenetical Studies on Ecological Races of Mecardonia dianthera (SW) Pennell. Cytologia 34.2 (1969): 178-187.]
- [http://www.ojs.darwin.edu.ar/index.php/darwiniana/article/view/269/258 Julián A. Greppi, Juan C. Hagiwara. UNA NUEVA ESPECIE DE MECARDONIA (PLANTAGINACEAE). Darwiniana Vol 49, No 1 (2011) p. 43]
- Barringer, K. & W. Burger. 2000. Family 193. Scrophulariaceae. In: W. Burger (ed.), Flora Costaricensis. Fieldiana: Botany, n.s. 41: 1–69.
- Nelson, C. H. 2008. Cat. Pl. Vasc. Honduras 1–1576.
- Stevens, W. D., C. Ulloa Ulloa, A. Pool & O. M. Montiel Jarquin. 2001. Flora de Nicaragua. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 85: i–xlii,.
- [http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40015306 Tropicos: Mecardonia]
External links
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikispecies}}
- [http://checklists.datazone.darwinfoundation.org/vascular-plants/magnoliophyta/mecardonia-procumbens-mill-small/ Galapagos Species Checklist: Mecardonia procumbens]
- [http://www.ppp-index.de/pppindex.dll?MID=2756 PPP-Index] Search for Mecardonia.
{{Taxonbar|from=Q9030962}}
Category:Plantaginaceae genera
Category:Flora of the Galápagos Islands