Lennoa

Lennoa is a monotypic genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Boraginaceae.[1] It only contains one known species, Lennoa madreporoides Lex. [2] It is within the subfamily of Lennoaceae.[3]

Lennoa
Lennoa madreporoides, Oaxaca Province, Mexico
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Boraginales
Family:	Boraginaceae
Genus:	Lennoa Lex.
Synonyms
Corallophyllum caeruleum Kunth Lennoa caerulea (Kunth) E.Fourn. Lennoa madreporoides subsp. australis Steyerm. Lennoa madreporoides var. caerulea (Kunth) Steyerm. Lennoa madreporoides f. caerulea (Kunth) Yatsk. Lennoa madreporoides subsp. pringlei Suess. Lennoa madreporoides subsp. reichei Suess. Lennoa madreporoides subsp. schaffneri Suess.

Its native range is Mexico to Venezuela. It is found in the countries of Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua and Venezuela.[2] It is found on hillside elevations from 1,000–1,350 m (3,280–4,430 ft) above sea level.[4]

It has the common name of Flor de tierra (or “flower of the earth”).[4] It is a root parasite,[4] usually found growing on roots of the Mexican sunflower (Tithonia). The oval mushroom-like stem is 5–15 cm (2–6 in) tall and is covered at maturity with small round,[4] or star-like flowers, which are lavender,[4] or violet with yellow throats.[5] They bloom in the fall (autumn).[4]

The genus name of Lennoa is in honour of Joaquín Leño, a Mexican independence fighter.[6] It has one known synonym Corallophyllum Kunth.[1] The species has the Latin specific epithet of madreporoides which refers to the genus Madrepora (which in Latin means "mother of pores") and the Greco-Roman suffix -oides ("similar to"), due to its resemblance to this genus of corals.

Both the genus and the species were first described and published in P.de La Llave & J.M.de Lexarza, Nov. Veg. Descr. Vol.1 on page 7 in 1824.[1][2]