Alophia
Encyclopedia
Alophia is a small 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...
of perennial, herbaceous
Herbaceous
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
and bulbous plants in the iris family (Iridaceae
Iridaceae
The Iris family or Iridaceae is a family of perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plants included in the monocot order Asparagales, taking its name from the genus Iris. Almost worldwide in distribution and one of the most important families in horticulture, it includes more than 2000 species...
). The genus comprise five species that occur from center and southern North America to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. The genus is closely related to Herbertia
Herbertia
Herbertia is a small genus of herbaceous, perennial and bulbous plants in the Iris family .-Description:Herbaceous and perennial plants, from tunicate, ovoid bulbs with brown, dry, brittle and papery tunics. The stems are simple or branched...
, Cypella
Cypella
Cypella is a genus of herbaceous, perennial and bulbous plants in the Iris family . It comprises about 22 species distributed in South America, from Peru and Brazil to Northern Argentina...
and Tigridia
Tigridia
Tigridia , the tiger-flowers or shell flowers, is a genus of bulbous or cormous plants, belonging to the family Iridaceae. They have large showy flowers and one species, Tigridia pavonia, is often cultivated for this. The approximately thirty five species in this family grow in the Western...
, differentiating from them by some characters of the stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
and the gynoecium
Gynoecium
Gynoecium is most commonly used as a collective term for all carpels in a flower. A carpel is the ovule and seed producing reproductive organ in flowering plants. Carpels are derived from ovule-bearing leaves which evolved to form a closed structure containing the ovules...
. The genus name is derived from the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
words a-, meaning "without", and lophos, meaning "crest".
Species
The list of Alophia species, with their complete name and authority, and their geographic distribution is given below.- Alophia drummondii (GrahamRobert Graham (botanist)Robert Graham was a Scottish physician and botanist. He was the inaugural chair of botany at the University of Edinburgh...
) R.C.Foster, Contr. Gray Herb. 155: 34 (1945). Southern United States to MexicoMexicoThe 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...
, GuyanaGuyanaGuyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
and BoliviaBoliviaBolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
. - Alophia intermedia (Ravenna) GoldblattGoldblattGoldblatt is a surname, meaning "gold leaf" in the German language. Notable people named Goldblatt include:*David Goldblatt, South African photographer*David Goldblatt, British author on social studies and football...
, Brittonia 27: 384 (1975 publ. 1976). NW Mexico. (SinaloaSinaloaSinaloa officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 18 municipalities and its capital city is Culiacán Rosales....
). - Alophia medusa (BakerJohn Gilbert BakerJohn Gilbert Baker was an English botanist.Baker was born in Guisborough, the son of John and Mary Baker and educated at Quaker schools in Ackworth and York....
) Goldblatt, Brittonia 27: 384 (1975 publ. 1976). Brazil (GoiásGoiásGoiás is a state of Brazil, located in the central part of the country. The name Goiás comes from the name of an indigenous community...
). - Alophia silvestris (Loes.Ludwig Eduard Theodor LoesenerLudwig Eduard Theodor Loesener was a German botanist.Collection of specimens in Europe: Amrum Islands , Alps, Black Forest, Bavaria, Tyrol, Rugen. Herbarium 14 Aquifoliaceae & cult. Ilex spp.-Abbreviation:...
) Goldblatt, Brittonia 27: 384 (1975 publ. 1976). Southern Mexico to Costa RicaCosta RicaCosta Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. - Alophia veracruzana Goldblatt & T.M.Howard, Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 79: 903 (1992). Mexico (VeracruzVeracruzVeracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
).