Virectaria
Encyclopedia
Virectaria is a genus
of flowering plant
s in the Rubiaceae
family
. The genus, known as Virecta until 1952, consists exclusively of tropical African species. It is a Guineo-Congolian genus, having its highest diversity in Lower Guinea but it also occurs in the Zambezian Region. Verdcourt
provided a revision in which he defined five species but three more were added later. In 2001, a detailed morphological and anatomical study of the genus was conducted and a taxonomic survey and a key to the species was provided.
vernacular name "Kalyabirondo", signifying "that which eats wounds".
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 Rubiaceae
Rubiaceae
The Rubiaceae is a family of flowering plants, variously called the coffee family, madder family, or bedstraw family. The group contains many commonly known plants, including the economically important coffee , quinine , and gambier , and the horticulturally valuable madder , west indian jasmine ,...
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...
. The genus, known as Virecta until 1952, consists exclusively of tropical African species. It is a Guineo-Congolian genus, having its highest diversity in Lower Guinea but it also occurs in the Zambezian Region. Verdcourt
Bernard Verdcourt
Bernard Verdcourt was a biologist and taxonomist, most widely known as a botanist and latterly an Honorary Research Fellow at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London. Prior to coming to Kew in 1964, he was associated with the East African Herbarium for 15 years...
provided a revision in which he defined five species but three more were added later. In 2001, a detailed morphological and anatomical study of the genus was conducted and a taxonomic survey and a key to the species was provided.
Description
All species are herbaceous or semi-woody and possess a fruit dehiscence type that is unique for the family; the splitting into one persistent and one deciduous valve allows recognizing the genus at first glance. In habit, Virectaria strongly resembles African Hedyotideae such as Otomeria and Parapentas but it lacks some diagnostic features of that tribe, viz. raphides, articulate hairs, heterostylous flowers and exotestal cells with only slight thickenings.Cultivation and Use
Virectaria major is frequently used in traditional medicine. It is utilized to heal all kinds of disorders, varying from eye diseases to pneumonia. Most collectors report that decocted leaves are for healing wounds, which is reflected in the MahiMahi people
The Mahi are a people of Benin. They live north of Abomey, from the Togo border on the west to the Zou River on the east, and south to Cové between the Zou and Ouemé rivers, north of the Dassa hills....
vernacular name "Kalyabirondo", signifying "that which eats wounds".
Species
- Virectaria angustifolia (HiernWilliam Philip HiernWilliam Philip Hiern was a British mathematician and botanist.Hiern attended St. John's College, Cambridge, from 1857 to 1861 and attained a "first class degree" in mathematics...
) Bremek. - Virectaria belingana N.Hallé
- Virectaria herbacoursi N.Hallé
- Virectaria major (K.Schum.Karl Moritz SchumannKarl Moritz Schumann was a German botanist.Dr. Schumann was the curator of the Botanisches Museumin Berlin-Dahlem from 1880 until 1894...
) Verdc.Bernard VerdcourtBernard Verdcourt was a biologist and taxonomist, most widely known as a botanist and latterly an Honorary Research Fellow at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London. Prior to coming to Kew in 1964, he was associated with the East African Herbarium for 15 years... - Virectaria multiflora (Sm.) Bremek.
- Virectaria procumbens (Sm.) Bremek.
- Virectaria salicoides (C.H.Wright) Bremek.
- Virectaria tenella J.B..Hall