Achimenes
Encyclopedia
Achimenes is a genus
of about 25 species of tropical and subtropical rhizomatous perennial herb
s in the flowering plant
family Gesneriaceae
. They have a multitude of common names such as Magic Flowers, Widow's Tears, Cupid's Bower, or Hot Water Plant.
/Hakhamanish of Persia?), or it may have been named after the (probably mythical) achaemenis, a plant with alleged magical properties, only named in Pliny's Natural History.
The name Achimenes was coined by Patrick Browne
(P.Browne) in 1756, in his The Civil and Natural History of Jamaica. In Three Parts, then used by Martin Vahl
in 1791. The first publication of the name for the genus
that currently bears the name was by South African mycologist
Christiaan Hendrik Persoon (Pers.), in November 1806, in the second part of his Synopsis Plantarum.
(Mexico
) and Central America
, with one species (A. erecta) occurring naturally in the West Indies. The largest number of species is found in Mexico. Several species and hybrids are widely cultivated and naturalized outside their native range. A complete list of the species, with their synonyms and geographic distributions, can be found in the Smithsonian Institution's World Checklist of Gesneriaceae.
Two species previously included in Achimenes are now classified in the segregation
genus Eucodonia and several phylogenetic studies have supported this separation.
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 about 25 species of tropical and subtropical rhizomatous perennial herb
Herb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
s in the 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...
family Gesneriaceae
Gesneriaceae
Gesneriaceae is a family of flowering plants consisting of ca. 150 genera and ca. 3,200 species in the Old World and New World tropics and subtropics, with a very small number extending to temperate areas. Many species have colorful and showy flowers and are cultivated as ornamental plants.Most...
. They have a multitude of common names such as Magic Flowers, Widow's Tears, Cupid's Bower, or Hot Water Plant.
Etymology
According to some authorities, the plant's name may come from the Greek word cheimanos meaning "tender" or "sensitive to cold." Other suggested derivations include "after King Hakhamash of Turkey (Gk. Achaemenes)" ([sic.] presumably AchaemenesAchaemenes
Achaemenēs was the eponymous ancestor of the Achaemenid Dynasty, who ruled Persia between 705 BC and 675 BC.The name is a bahuvrihi compound literally translating to "having a friend's mind", or "characterized by a follower's spirit"....
/Hakhamanish of Persia?), or it may have been named after the (probably mythical) achaemenis, a plant with alleged magical properties, only named in Pliny's Natural History.
The name Achimenes was coined by Patrick Browne
Patrick Browne
Patrick Browne was an Irish physician and botanist.-Career:Browne was born in Woodstock, County Mayo, sent to relatives on Antigua in 1737 and returned to Europe due to ill health after two years. He studied medicine, natural history and especially botany at Reims, Paris and Leyden, qualifying...
(P.Browne) in 1756, in his The Civil and Natural History of Jamaica. In Three Parts, then used by Martin Vahl
Martin Vahl
Martin Henrichsen Vahl was a Danish-Norwegian botanist and zoologist.He studied botany in Copenhagen and in Uppsala under Carolus Linnaeus. He edited Flora Danica fasc. XVI-XXI , Symbolæ Botanicæ I-III , Eclogæ Americanæ I-IV and Enumeratio Plantarum I-II...
in 1791. The first publication of the name for the genus
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...
that currently bears the name was by South African mycologist
Mycology
Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi, including their genetic and biochemical properties, their taxonomy and their use to humans as a source for tinder, medicinals , food and entheogens, as well as their dangers, such as poisoning or...
Christiaan Hendrik Persoon (Pers.), in November 1806, in the second part of his Synopsis Plantarum.
Range and taxonomy
The genus is native to North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
(Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
) and Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, with one species (A. erecta) occurring naturally in the West Indies. The largest number of species is found in Mexico. Several species and hybrids are widely cultivated and naturalized outside their native range. A complete list of the species, with their synonyms and geographic distributions, can be found in the Smithsonian Institution's World Checklist of Gesneriaceae.
Two species previously included in Achimenes are now classified in the segregation
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...
genus Eucodonia and several phylogenetic studies have supported this separation.
Selected species
- Achimenes cettoana H.E. Moore
- Achimenes dulcis C.V. Morton
- Achimenes erecta (Lam.) H.P. Fuchs
- Achimenes grandiflora (Schiede) DC.
- Achimenes heterophylla (Mart.) DC.
- Achimenes longiflora DC.
- Achimenes patens Benth.