Xiphotheca

Xiphotheca is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It includes 10 species of shrubs endemic to the Cape Provinces of South Africa. They grow in fynbos (Mediterranean-climate shrubland), generally at medium or low elevations, and often species have highly localised ranges.[3] The genus belongs to the subfamily Faboideae. The name of the genus is a compound of Ancient Greek ξίφος (ksíphos), which means "sword", and θήκη (thēkē) which can mean "box" or "sheath"—a reference to the shape of the legume pods.[1] Members of this genus can be distinguished by:

"(1) the presence of bracteoles in most species; (2) the fusion of the bracts with the base of the pedicel; (3) the laterally compressed pods; and (4) the accumulation of anabasine as a major alkaloid."[1]

Xiphotheca
Xiphotheca fruticosa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Tribe: Podalyrieae
Genus: Xiphotheca
Eckl. & Zeyh. (1836)
Species

See text.

Xiphotheca is endemic to the fynbos of South Africa.[1]
  •   Range of section Congestae
  •   Range of section Xiphotheca
Synonyms[2]
  • Priestleya sect. Aneisothea DC.

Species

Xiphotheca comprises the following species:[2][1][4]

Section Congestae
  • Xiphotheca fruticosa (L.) A. L. Schutte & B.-E. van Wyk
  • Xiphotheca guthriei (L. Bolus) A. L. Schutte & B.-E. van Wyk
  • Xiphotheca lanceolata (E. Mey.) Eckl. & Zeyh.
  • Xiphotheca reflexa (Thunb.) A. L. Schutte & B.-E. van Wyk

Section Xiphotheca
  • Xiphotheca canescens (Thunb.) A. L. Schutte & B.-E. van Wyk
  • Xiphotheca cordifolia A. L. Schutte & B.-E. van Wyk
  • Xiphotheca elliptica (DC.) A. L. Schutte & B.-E. van Wyk
  • Xiphotheca phylicoides A. L. Schutte & B.-E. van Wyk
  • Xiphotheca tecta (Thunb.) A. L. Schutte & B.-E. van Wyk

References
  1. Schutte AL (1997). "A revision of the genus Xiphotheca (Fabaceae)". Ann Missouri Bot Gard. 84 (1): 90–102. doi:10.2307/2399955. JSTOR 2399955.
  2. Schutte AL, Van Wyk B-E (1993). "The Reinstatement of the Genus Xiphotheca (Fabaceae)". Taxon. 41 (1): 43–49. doi:10.2307/1223301. JSTOR 1223301.
  3. [https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:23831-1 Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  4. USDA; ARS; National Genetic Resources Program. "GRIN species records of Xiphotheca". Germplasm Resources Information Network—(GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.