Mecardonia

Mecardonia
Mecardonia procumbens
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Plantaginaceae
Tribe: Gratioleae
Genus: Mecardonia
Ruiz & Pav.
Species [1][2]

Mecardonia acuminata
Mecardonia berroi
Mecardonia caespitosa
Mecardonia exilis
Mecardonia flagellaris
Mecardonia grandiflora
Mecardonia herniarioides
Mecardonia kamogawae
Mecardonia ovata
Mecardonia procumbens
syn. M ovata, M dianthera
Mecardonia pubescens
Mecardonia serpylloides
Mecardonia tenella

Mecardonia acuminata subsp. peninsularis

Mecardonia (Axilflower) is a genus of herbaceous plants in the family Plantaginaceae (Plantain family). 31 species have been described,[3] of which 12 are accepted. Its distribution is predominantly in South America, and South East United States, including Florida [4] [5] and Alabama[6] [7] but may be found as far north as Virginia. [8](see map)[9] Five species are found in Argentina[10] and three in the US.[11]

Description

They are herbaceous procumbent glabrous plants. They are mostly blackened when they are dry. Their stems are 5–40 cm in length and they have 4-alate leaves. Ovate leaves 7–25 mm in length and 3–16 mm wide, with a crenate edge; petiolate. Solitary axillary flowers, pedicles 8-20 (-26) mm in length, basally bibracteolate; 5-lobed calyx, with unequal lobes, more or less free to the base, imbricate, the adaxial lobe widely lanceate to ovate, 5-9.5 mm long and 3–6 mm wide, slightly accrescent, the 2 middle lobes longer and overlapping, the 2 abaxial lobes nearly the same size as the adaxial and overlapping the middle lobes; 5-lobed corolla, 7–8 mm long, yellow with purple at the throat, bearded at the mouth; 4 fertile stamens. Ovoid fruit capsule, 5–7 mm long, loculicidal; ovoid, reticulated seeds.[12]

Taxonomy

The genus was described by Ruiz & Pav., published in Florae Peruvianae, et Chilensis Prodromus 95. 1794. [12][13] The type species is: Mecardonia procumbens Ruiz & Pav. The genus is named after Antonio Meca y Cardona, who founded the botanical gardens in Barcelona, in 1784.[14][15] [16]

Rossow (1987) in his taxonomic revision of the genus, recognized ten species. A new species, M kamogawae, was identified in Argentina by Greppi and Hagiwara (2011).

Cultivation

Sold as an ornamental garden flower, such as Mecardonia Magic Carpet Yellow, as annuals in colder areas.

Species

M acuminata has three recognised subspecies; acuminata, peninsularis and microphylla.[11]

References

Sources

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