Aristea
Encyclopedia
Aristea is a genus
of perennial, herbaceous
and rhizomatous species of flowering plant
s in the iris family (Iridaceae
). The genus include 56 species
which are distributed in tropical and southern Africa
, as well as Madagascar
. The genus name is derived from the Greek
word arista, meaning "awn".
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 rhizomatous species 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 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 include 56 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
which are distributed in tropical and southern Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, as well as Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. 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;...
word arista, meaning "awn".
Partial list of species
- Aristea abyssinica
- Aristea africana
- Aristea bakeri
- Aristea biflora
- Aristea capitata
- Aristea cantharophila
- Aristea corymbosa
- Aristea cyanea
- Aristea ecklonii
- Aristea gerrardii
- Aristea lugens
- Aristea macrocarpa
- Aristea oligocephala
- Aristea spiralis
- Aristea teretifolia
- Aristea thyrsiflora
Further reading
- Goldblatt,P. 1995. Notes on Aristea Aiton (Iridaceae: Nivenioideae): Taxonomy, Chromosome Cytology, and Phylogeny. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, Vol. 82, No. 1 (1995), pp. 139-145
- Goldblatt, P., Dold, A. P., Manning, J. C. 2005. Three cryptic new species of Aristea (Iridaceae) from southern Africa.. Bothalia 4:121-128.
- Goldblatt, P. John C. Manning and Roy E. Gereau. 2002. Nomenclatural Clarification in Aristea Section Racemosae (Iridaceae) in the Cape Flora of South Africa Novon, Vol. 12, No. 2 (Summer, 2002), pp. 190-195
- W. Marais. 1987. Notes on Aristea (Iridaceae) in East Africa. Kew Bulletin, Vol. 42, No. 4, p. 932