Leonotis
Encyclopedia
Leonotis is a genus
of flowering plant
s in the family
Lamiaceae
. It comprises 9 species
. One of these, Leonotis nepetifolia
, is native
to tropical Africa
and southern India. It is naturalized
throughout most of the tropics
. The other 8 species are endemic to southern Africa
.
Leonotis was named by Robert Brown
in 1810 in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen
. The name means "lion's ear".
The type for the genus is the specimen
of Leonotis ocymifolia that was originally described as Leonotis leonitis. It is a specimen of Leonotis ocymifolia var. ocymifolia.
, or synonymous
with other names. The species recognized by Iwarsson and Harvey are marked with a number sign
.
is not closely related to the other species. In 2009, it was shown that Leonotis and 3 other genera are embedded
in Leucas
, a genus of about 100 species. If the 4 embedded genera were merged with Leucas, the expanded Leucas would have about 132 species.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of flowering plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Lamiaceae
Lamiaceae
The mints, taxonomically known as Lamiaceae or Labiatae, are a family of flowering plants. They have traditionally been considered closely related to Verbenaceae, but in the 1990s, phylogenetic studies suggested that many genera classified in Verbenaceae belong instead in Lamiaceae...
. It comprises 9 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
. One of these, Leonotis nepetifolia
Leonotis nepetifolia
Leonotis nepetifolia, also known as Klip Dagga or Lion's Ear, is a species of plant in the Leonotis genus and the Lamiaceae family. While most other species in this genus are native to Southern Africa, L. nepetifolia is native to tropical Africa and southern India...
, is native
Indigenous (ecology)
In biogeography, a species is defined as native to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention. Every natural organism has its own natural range of distribution in which it is regarded as native...
to tropical Africa
Tropical Africa
Although tropical Africa is most familiar in the West as depicted by its rain forests, this region of Africa is far more diverse. While the tropics are thought of as regions with warm to hot moist climates caused by latitude and the tropical rain belt, the geology of areas, particularly mountain...
and southern India. It is naturalized
Naturalisation (biology)
In biology, naturalisation is any process by which a non-native organism spreads into the wild and its reproduction is sufficient to maintain its population. Such populations are said to be naturalised....
throughout most of the tropics
Tropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
. The other 8 species are endemic to southern Africa
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN...
.
Leonotis was named by Robert Brown
Robert Brown (botanist)
Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...
in 1810 in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen
Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen
Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen is an 1810 flora of Australia by botanist Robert Brown. Often referred to as Prodromus Flora Novae Hollandiae, or by its standard botanical abbreviation Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holland., it was the first attempt at a survey of the Australian flora...
. The name means "lion's ear".
The type for the genus is the specimen
Specimen
A specimen is a portion/quantity of material for use in testing, examination, or study.BiologyA laboratory specimen is an individual animal, part of an animal, a plant, part of a plant, or a microorganism, used as a representative to study the properties of the whole population of that species or...
of Leonotis ocymifolia that was originally described as Leonotis leonitis. It is a specimen of Leonotis ocymifolia var. ocymifolia.
Species
Below is a list of names published in Leonotis. Most of them are obsolete, illegitimateNomen illegitimum
A nomen illegitimum is a technical term, used mainly in botany. It is usually abbreviated as nom. illeg..-Definition:...
, or synonymous
Synonym (taxonomy)
In scientific nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that is or was used for a taxon of organisms that also goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnaeus was the first to give a scientific name to the Norway spruce, which he called Pinus abies...
with other names. The species recognized by Iwarsson and Harvey are marked with a number sign
Number sign
Number sign is a name for the symbol #, which is used for a variety of purposes including, in some countries, the designation of a number...
.
|
Leonotis leonurus Leonotis leonurus, also known as Lion's Tail and Wild Dagga, is a plant species in the Lamiaceae family. The plant is a broadleaf evergreen large shrub native to South Africa and southern Africa, where it is very common. It is known for its medicinal and mild psychoactive... (L.) Robert Brown Leonotis nepetifolia Leonotis nepetifolia, also known as Klip Dagga or Lion's Ear, is a species of plant in the Leonotis genus and the Lamiaceae family. While most other species in this genus are native to Southern Africa, L. nepetifolia is native to tropical Africa and southern India... (L.) Robert Brown |
Taxonomy
Leonotis is a member of the subfamily Lamioideae. Leonotis might be paraphyletic or even polyphyletic because Leonotis leonurusLeonotis leonurus
Leonotis leonurus, also known as Lion's Tail and Wild Dagga, is a plant species in the Lamiaceae family. The plant is a broadleaf evergreen large shrub native to South Africa and southern Africa, where it is very common. It is known for its medicinal and mild psychoactive...
is not closely related to the other species. In 2009, it was shown that Leonotis and 3 other genera are embedded
Paraphyly
A group of taxa is said to be paraphyletic if the group consists of all the descendants of a hypothetical closest common ancestor minus one or more monophyletic groups of descendants...
in Leucas
Leucas
Leucas may refer to:* Leucas is a genus of plants from the family Lamiaceae.* Leucas, an English transliteration of the ancient Greek place name, Leukas ....
, a genus of about 100 species. If the 4 embedded genera were merged with Leucas, the expanded Leucas would have about 132 species.
External links
- Leonotis (page 504) In: Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen At: bibliography/3678 At:Biodiversity Heritage Library
- Leonotis At:Index Nominum Genericorum At: References At: NMNH Department of Botany
- Classification for Kingdom Plantae Down to Genus Leonotis, United States Department of AgricultureUnited States Department of AgricultureThe United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
- Leonotis leonurus, PlantFiles
- German Lion's-Tail Forum