Spigelia
Encyclopedia
Spigelia is a genus of flowering plant
s in the family Loganiaceae
. It contains around 60 species, distributed over the warmer parts of the Americas
, from the latitude of Buenos Aires
to the Southern United States
. It was named after Adriaan van den Spiegel
(Adrianus Spigelius) by Carl Linnaeus in his 1753 Species Plantarum
; the type species is Spigelia anthelmia.
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 Loganiaceae
Loganiaceae
Loganiaceae are a family of flowering plants classified in order Gentianales. The family includes 13 genera, distributed around the world's tropics.Earlier treatments of the family have included up to 29 genera...
. It contains around 60 species, distributed over the warmer parts of the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
, from the latitude of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
to the Southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
. It was named after Adriaan van den Spiegel
Adriaan van den Spiegel
Adriaan van den Spiegel, name sometimes written as Adrianus Spigelius was a Flemish anatomist who was born in Brussels. For much of his career he practiced medicine in Padua, and is considered one of the great physicians associated with that city...
(Adrianus Spigelius) by Carl Linnaeus in his 1753 Species Plantarum
Species Plantarum
Species Plantarum was first published in 1753, as a two-volume work by Carl Linnaeus. Its prime importance is perhaps that it is the primary starting point of plant nomenclature as it exists today. This means that the first names to be considered validly published in botany are those that appear...
; the type species is Spigelia anthelmia.
Selected species
- Spigelia gentianoidesSpigelia gentianoidesSpigelia gentianoides is a rare species of flowering plant in the Loganiaceae known by the common names gentian pinkroot and purpleflower pinkroot. It is native to Alabama and Florida in the United States, where a few small populations remain...
- Spigelia genuflexaSpigelia genuflexaSpigelia genuflexa is a species of annual herb of the family Loganiaceae from Bahia state, Brazil, which was described in 2011. It is unusual in that the stems bend down after flowering to deposit the seeds in the soil .-Description:...
- Spigelia marilandicaSpigelia marilandicaSpigelia marilandica is a perennial wildflower in the Loganiaceae family that is used as ornamental plant. It flowers in June and tends to be found low moist woods, ravines, or streambanks in partial or full shade. It will grow to 1 to 2 feet high with a spread of 0.5 to 1.5...