Ruellia
Encyclopedia
Ruellia is a genus
of flowering plant
s. Commonly known as ruellias or wild petunias, they are not closely related to petunia
s (Petunia). Both genera belong to the same euasterid clade
, however. The genus was named in honor of Jean Ruelle
, herbalist
and physician
to Francis I of France
and translator of several works of Pedanius Dioscorides
.
Apart from the numerous formerly independent genera nowadays considered synonym
ous with Ruellia, the segregate
genera Blechum, Eusiphon, Polylychnis and Ulleria are often included in Ruellia. Acanthopale
, however, is nowadays considered a distinct genus.
Ruellias are popular ornamental plant
s. Some are used as medicinal plant
s, but many are known or suspected to be poisonous. Regardless, their leaves are food for the caterpillar
s of several Lepidoptera
(butterflies and moths), typically Nymphalinae
and in particular members of their tribe
Junoniini
. Nymphalinae using Ruellia as host plants include:
, were erroneously assigned to Ruellia. Some examples are:
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. Commonly known as ruellias or wild petunias, they are not closely related to petunia
Petunia
Petunia is a widely cultivated genus of flowering plants of South American origin, closely related with tobacco, cape gooseberries, tomatoes, deadly nightshades, potatoes and chili peppers; in the family Solanaceae. The popular flower derived its name from French, which took the word petun, meaning...
s (Petunia). Both genera belong to the same euasterid clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
, however. The genus was named in honor of Jean Ruelle
Jean Ruelle
Jean Ruelle , was a French herbalist and physician to Francois I. He became a priest after giving up medicine. He published a Latin translation of Dioscorides' De Materia Medica in 1529 and followed this up in 1536 with De Natura Stirpium.The plant genus Ruellia is named after him.-References:...
, herbalist
Herbalist
An herbalist is:#A person whose life is dedicated to the economic or medicinal uses of plants.#One skilled in the harvesting and collection of medicinal plants ....
and physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
to Francis I of France
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
and translator of several works of Pedanius Dioscorides
Pedanius Dioscorides
Pedanius Dioscorides was a Greek physician, pharmacologist and botanist, the author of a 5-volume encyclopedia about herbal medicine and related medicinal substances , that was widely read for more than 1,500 years.-Life:...
.
Apart from the numerous formerly independent genera nowadays considered synonym
Synonym
Synonyms are different words with almost identical or similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous, and the state of being a synonym is called synonymy. The word comes from Ancient Greek syn and onoma . The words car and automobile are synonyms...
ous with Ruellia, the segregate
Segregate (taxonomy)
In taxonomy, a segregate, or a segregate taxon is created when a taxon is split off, from another taxon. This other taxon will be better known, usually bigger, and will continue to exist, even after the segregate taxon has been split off...
genera Blechum, Eusiphon, Polylychnis and Ulleria are often included in Ruellia. Acanthopale
Acanthopale
Acanthopale is a genus of plant in family Acanthaceae. It contains flowering plants and is named so from the Greek ákantha and palum...
, however, is nowadays considered a distinct genus.
Ruellias are popular ornamental plant
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
s. Some are used as medicinal plant
Herbalism
Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, herblore, and phytotherapy...
s, but many are known or suspected to be poisonous. Regardless, their leaves are food for the caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
s of several Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
(butterflies and moths), typically Nymphalinae
Nymphalinae
Nymphalinae is a subfamily of brush-footed butterflies . Sometimes, the Limenitidinae are included here as further tribe, while the Melitaeini are occasionally considered a distinct subfamily.- Systematics:...
and in particular members of their tribe
Tribe (biology)
In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.Some examples include the tribes: Canini, Acalypheae, Hominini, Bombini, and Antidesmeae.-See also:* Biological classification* Rank...
Junoniini
Junoniini
Junoniini is a tribe of nymphalid brush-footed butterflies.- Genera :* Junonia Hübner, 1819 – buckeyes, commodores, "pansies"* Precis Hübner, 1819 – "pansies"* Protogoniomorpha Wallengren, 1857...
. Nymphalinae using Ruellia as host plants include:
- Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia), recorded on R. nodiflora
- Lemon Pansy (Junonia lemonias), recorded on R. tuberosaRuellia tuberosaRuellia tuberosa, also known as Minnie Root, Fever Root, Snapdragon Root and Sheep Potato , is a species of flowering plant in the Acanthaceae family...
- Malachite Butterfly (Siproeta stelenes), recorded on several species
- Australian Lurcher (Yoma sabina), recorded on several species
Formerly placed here
Numerous plants, usually AcanthaceaeAcanthaceae
The family Acanthaceae is a taxon of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing almost 250 genera and about 2500 species....
, were erroneously assigned to Ruellia. Some examples are:
- Asystasia gangetica subsp. micranthaAsystasia gangeticaAsystasia gangetica is a species of plant in the Acanthaceae family. It is commonly known as the Chinese Violet, Coromandel or Creeping Foxglove. In South Africa this plant may simply be called Asystasia.-Description:...
(Nees) Ensermu (as R. intrusa Forssk.) - Asystasia gangetica subsp. gangeticaAsystasia gangeticaAsystasia gangetica is a species of plant in the Acanthaceae family. It is commonly known as the Chinese Violet, Coromandel or Creeping Foxglove. In South Africa this plant may simply be called Asystasia.-Description:...
(as R. zeylanica J.Koenig ex Roxb.) - Blepharis ciliaris (L.) B.L.Burtt (as R. ciliaris L. or R. persica Burm.f.)
- Dyschoriste oblongifolia (Michx.) Kuntze (as R. oblongifolia Michx.)
- Hemigraphis repandaHemigraphis repandaHemigraphis repanda is a species of plant of family Acanthaceae....
(L.) Hallier f. (as R. repanda L.) - Hygrophila costataHygrophila costataGlush weed , or yerba de hicotea Glush weed (aka gulf swampweed), or yerba de hicotea Glush weed (aka gulf swampweed), or yerba de hicotea (syn. Hygrophila atricheta Bridar., Hygrophila brasiliensis Spreng., Hygrophila conferta Nees, Hygrophila guianensis Nees, Hygrophila lacustris Morong &...
Nees et al. (as R. brasiliensis Spreng.) - Hygrophila difformisHygrophila difformisHygrophila difformis, commonly known as water wisteria , is an aquatic plant in the acanthus family. It is found in marshy habitats on the Indian subcontinent in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal...
(L.f.) Blume (as R. difformis L. f.) - Hygrophila lacustris (Schltdl. & Cham.) Nees (as R. lacustris Schltdl. & Cham.)
- Hygrophila ringens (L.) R. Br. ex Steud. (as R. ringens L. or R. salicifolia Vahl)
- Lepidagathis alopecuroidea (Vahl) R. Br. ex Griseb. (as R. alopecuroidea Vahl)
- Lindernia antipoda (L.) Alston (as R. antipoda L.)
- Stenandrium dulce (Cav.) Nees (as R. dulcis Cav.)
- Strobilanthes anisophylla (Lodd. et al.) T. Anderson (as R. anisophylla Lodd. et al.)
- Strobilanthes hamiltoniana (Steud.) Bosser & Heine (as R. hamiltoniana Steud.)
- Teliostachya alopecuroideaTeliostachya alopecuroideaPata de gallina is a plant native of Cerrado vegetation of Brazil....
Nees (as R. alopecuroidea, R. alopecuroides)
See also
- 21540 Itthipanyanan21540 Itthipanyanan21540 Itthipanyanan, also designated Asteroid 1998QE11, is a main belt asteroid originally discovered August 17, 1998 by the Lincoln Laboratory Near-Earth Asteroid Research Team at Socorro, New Mexico...
, an asteroid named after the author of an award-winning study on Ruellia tuberosa