spiderling articles - Encyclopedia of Life

Description

provided by Flora of Zimbabwe

Annual or perennial herbs, often from a rootstock, erect or loosely spreading. Leaves opposite, often in unequal pairs, sometimes fleshy, entire or shallowly sinuate. Inflorescences terminal and axillary, paniculate, umbellate or cymose. Flowers small, quickly falling off, bisexual. Perianth: lower part constricted above ovary, upper part petal-like, campanulate, slightly 5-lobed, caducous. Stamens 1-4(-6); stamens or styles exserted or included. Fruit fusiform, clavate or turbinate, conspicuously 3-5(-6)-ribbed, glabrous or glandular pubescent, but without glands.

license: cc-by-nc
copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten and Petra Ballings

bibliographic citation: Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T. and Ballings, P. (2002-2014). Boerhavia Flora of Zimbabwe website. Accessed 28 August 2014 at http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=543
author: Mark Hyde
author: Bart Wursten
author: Petra Ballings

original: visit source
partner site: Flora of Zimbabwe

Boerhavia

provided by wikipedia EN

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Boerhavia.

Boerhavia is a genus of over 100 species in the Nyctaginaceae family. The genus was named for Herman Boerhaave, a Dutch botanist, and the genus name is frequently misspelled "Boerhaavia". Common names include spiderlings and hogweeds.

Taxonomy

There are over 100 species in the genus Boerhavia, which is in the family Nyctaginaceae, which includes the four o'clock flower.^[1]

The genus was named for the Dutch botanist Herman Boerhaave, and often misspelt as "Boerhaavia". Common names include spiderlings and hogweeds.

Description

Some species are annuals and others perennials. In habit they generally are herbaceous.

"Spiderling" refers to the appearance of those species that bear inflorescences on numerous long, slender stems, interlocking in a manner suggestive of a spider or spider's web.

Boerhavia species generally are native to warm tropical regions.

Significance

Several species of Boerhavia are of importance as agricultural and horticultural weeds. Some are valued as forage for grazing livestock, and some, such as Boerhavia erecta, also are of use as human food and folk medicine.

Selected species

Boerhavia anisophylla Torr. – wineflower
Boerhavia boissieri
Boerhavia coccinea P.Mill. – scarlet spiderling
Boerhavia coulteri (Hook.f.) S.Wats. - Coulter spiderling, Coulter's spiderling
Boerhavia diffusa L. – red spiderling
Boerhavia dominii Meikle & Hewson – tah-vine
Boerhavia elegans
Boerhavia erecta L. – erect spiderling
Boerhavia gracillima Heimerl – slim-stalk spiderling, slimstalk spiderling
Boerhavia herbstii Fosberg – alena
Boerhavia intermedia M.E.Jones – five-wing spiderling, fivewing spiderling
Boerhavia linearifolia Gray – narrowleaf spiderling
Boerhavia mathisiana F.B.Jones – Mathis' spiderling
Boerhavia megaptera Standl. – annual spiderling, Tucson Mountain spiderling
Boerhavia pterocarpa S.Wats. – Apache Pass spiderling
Boerhavia purpurascens Gray – purple spiderling
Boerhavia repens L.
Boerhavia scandens L. – climbing spiderling, climbing wartclub, wishbone vine
Boerhavia spicata Choisy – creeping spiderling
Boerhavia tetrandra G.Forst.^[2]^[3] Range: Lord Howe Island, Pacific islands,^[4] New South Wales, Queensland,^[5] Polynesia, Micronesia. Native names across the Pacific Islands include runa, paikea, tiale katuli, tiare katuri, katuri, naunau, and momoe.^[6] Found on Bramble Cay in the Torres Strait, and eaten as a type of spinach by humans.^[7]
Boerhavia triquetra S.Wats. – slender spiderling
Boerhavia wrightii Gray – Wright's boerhavia