Brodiaea
Encyclopedia
Brodiaea is a monocot genus
of flowering plant
s in the family Asparagaceae
, subfamily Brodiaeoideae, also known by the common name
cluster-lilies. Brodiaea species occur in the West Coast of the United States
, especially northern California
.
, botanist to the Vancouver Expedition
, in 1792. Menzies collected the plant from the vicinity of the Strait of Georgia
, named New Georgia by George Vancouver
.
The first published reference to the plant appears in James Edward Smith
's 1807 An introduction to physiological and systematical botany, where Smith used it to argue that the tepal
s of liliaceous plants are sepal
s rather than petal
s:
The following year, Richard Salisbury published the first Brodiaea species in his Paradisus Londinensis, but placed it in the genus Hookera as Hookera coronaria. Smith disagreed with this placement, and in April 1808 read a formal description of a new genus before the Linnean Society of London
, naming the genus in honour of Scottish botanist James Brodie
(1744–1824). Formal publication did not occur, however, until Smith's presentation went to print in 1811.
were the subject of much controversy until the end of the 20th century. Salisbury treated them as a family which he named Themidaceae. Others placed this group at lower taxonomic rank
and usually included them in Liliaceae
, Alliaceae
, or Amaryllidaceae
. Molecular phylogenetic studies confirmed the suspicions of many that this group was misplaced, and consequently, the family
Themidaceae was resurrected in 1996. When the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group
published the APG II system
in 2003, Themidaceae was accepted as an optional family for those who wanted to circumscribe
families narrowly in the order
Asparagales
. When the APG III system
was published in 2009, the former Themidaceae was treated as a subfamily, Brodiaeoideae, of the family Asparagaceae
sensu lato.
Some sources, such as ITIS
, continue to use the polyphyletic groups
of obsolete taxonomic
systems. Other sources, such as the Angiosperm Phylogeny Website
mostly follow the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group.
Brodiaea (or Brodeia ) is also used as a common name to refer to three genera, Brodiaea, Dichelostemma
, and Triteleia. The latter two genera were once included as part of the genus Brodiaea.
The monophyly
of Brodiaea as presently defined is not entirely certain. It might be intermixed
with Dichelostemma.
Sources: GRIN, NRCS
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 family Asparagaceae
Asparagaceae
Asparagaceae is the botanical name of a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots.In earlier classification systems, the species involved were often treated as belonging to the family Liliaceae...
, subfamily Brodiaeoideae, also known by the common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
cluster-lilies. Brodiaea species occur in the West Coast of the United States
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
, especially northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
.
Taxonomic history
Specimens of Brodiaea were first collected by Archibald MenziesArchibald Menzies
Archibald Menzies was a Scottish surgeon, botanist and naturalist.- Life and career :Menzies was born at Easter Stix in the parish of Weem, in Perthshire. While working with his elder brother William at the Royal Botanic Gardens, he drew the attention of Dr John Hope, professor of botany at...
, botanist to the Vancouver Expedition
Vancouver Expedition
The Vancouver Expedition was a four-and-a-half-year voyage of exploration and diplomacy, commanded by Captain George Vancouver. The expedition circumnavigated the globe, touched five continents and changed the course of history for the indigenous nations and several European empires and their...
, in 1792. Menzies collected the plant from the vicinity of the Strait of Georgia
Strait of Georgia
The Strait of Georgia or the Georgia Strait is a strait between Vancouver Island and the mainland coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is approximately long and varies in width from...
, named New Georgia by George Vancouver
George Vancouver
Captain George Vancouver RN was an English officer of the British Royal Navy, best known for his 1791-95 expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions, including the coasts of contemporary Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon...
.
The first published reference to the plant appears in James Edward Smith
James Edward Smith
Sir James Edward Smith was an English botanist and founder of the Linnean Society.Smith was born in Norwich in 1759, the son of a wealthy wool merchant. He displayed a precocious interest in the natural world...
's 1807 An introduction to physiological and systematical botany, where Smith used it to argue that the tepal
Tepal
Tepals are elements of the perianth, or outer part of a flower, which include the petals or sepals. The term tepal is more often applied specifically when all segments of the perianth are of similar shape and color, or undifferentiated, which is called perigone...
s of liliaceous plants are sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s rather than petal
Petal
Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They often are brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. Together, all of the petals of a flower are called a corolla. Petals are usually accompanied by another set of special leaves called sepals lying...
s:
The following year, Richard Salisbury published the first Brodiaea species in his Paradisus Londinensis, but placed it in the genus Hookera as Hookera coronaria. Smith disagreed with this placement, and in April 1808 read a formal description of a new genus before the Linnean Society of London
Linnean Society of London
The Linnean Society of London is the world's premier society for the study and dissemination of taxonomy and natural history. It publishes a zoological journal, as well as botanical and biological journals...
, naming the genus in honour of Scottish botanist James Brodie
James Brodie (botanist)
James Brodie of Brodie, 21st Thane and Chief of Clan Brodie, FRS FLS was a Scottish politician and botanist. He was educated at Elgin Academy and St. Andrews University. He was returned to parliament in 1796 as MP for Elginshire, serving until 1807. He was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Nairn.As a...
(1744–1824). Formal publication did not occur, however, until Smith's presentation went to print in 1811.
Taxonomy
Brodiaea belongs to a group of 12 genera whose affinitiesPhylogenetic tree
A phylogenetic tree or evolutionary tree is a branching diagram or "tree" showing the inferred evolutionary relationships among various biological species or other entities based upon similarities and differences in their physical and/or genetic characteristics...
were the subject of much controversy until the end of the 20th century. Salisbury treated them as a family which he named Themidaceae. Others placed this group at lower taxonomic rank
Taxonomic rank
In biological classification, rank is the level in a taxonomic hierarchy. Examples of taxonomic ranks are species, genus, family, and class. Each rank subsumes under it a number of less general categories...
and usually included them in Liliaceae
Liliaceae
The Liliaceae, or the lily family, is a family of monocotyledons in the order Liliales. Plants in this family have linear leaves, mostly with parallel veins but with several having net venation , and flower arranged in threes. Several have bulbs, while others have rhizomes...
, Alliaceae
Alliaceae
Allioideae is the botanical name of a monocot subfamily of flowering plants in the family Amaryllidaceae, order Asparagales. It was formerly treated as a separate family, Alliaceae...
, or Amaryllidaceae
Amaryllidaceae
Amaryllidoideae is the subfamily of flowering plants that takes its name from the genus Amaryllis. It is part of the family Amaryllidaceae, in order Asparagales...
. Molecular phylogenetic studies confirmed the suspicions of many that this group was misplaced, and consequently, the 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...
Themidaceae was resurrected in 1996. When the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group
Angiosperm Phylogeny Group
The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, or APG, refers to an informal international group of systematic botanists who came together to try to establish a consensus on the taxonomy of flowering plants that would reflect new knowledge about plant relationships discovered through phylogenetic studies., three...
published the APG II system
APG II system
The APG II system of plant classification is the second, now obsolete, version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy that was published in April 2003 by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. It was a revision of the first APG system, published in 1998, and was superseded in 2009...
in 2003, Themidaceae was accepted as an optional family for those who wanted to circumscribe
Circumscription (taxonomy)
In taxonomy, circumscription is the definition of the limits of a taxonomic group of organisms. One goal of taxonomy is to achieve a stable circumscription for every taxonomic group. Achieving stability can be simple or difficult....
families narrowly in the order
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
Asparagales
Asparagales
Asparagales is the name of an order of plants, used in modern classification systems such as the APG III system . The order takes its name from the family Asparagaceae and is placed in the monocots. The order has only recently been recognized in classification systems...
. When the APG III system
APG III system
The APG III system of flowering plant classification is the third version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy...
was published in 2009, the former Themidaceae was treated as a subfamily, Brodiaeoideae, of the family Asparagaceae
Asparagaceae
Asparagaceae is the botanical name of a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots.In earlier classification systems, the species involved were often treated as belonging to the family Liliaceae...
sensu lato.
Some sources, such as ITIS
Integrated Taxonomic Information System
The Integrated Taxonomic Information System is a partnership designed to provide consistent and reliable information on the taxonomy of biological species. ITIS was originally formed in 1996 as an interagency group within the U.S...
, continue to use the polyphyletic groups
Taxon
|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...
of obsolete taxonomic
Plant taxonomy
Plant taxonomy is the science that finds, describes, classifies, identifies, and names plants. It thus is one of the main branches of taxonomy.Plant taxonomy is closely allied to plant systematics, and there is no sharp boundary between the two...
systems. Other sources, such as the Angiosperm Phylogeny Website
Angiosperm Phylogeny Website
Angiosperm Phylogeny Website is a well-known web site dedicated to research on Angiosperm phylogeny and taxonomy.The site is hosted by the Missouri Botanical Garden website and maintained by researcher Peter F. Stevens, who is a member of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group...
mostly follow the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group.
Brodiaea (or Brodeia ) is also used as a common name to refer to three genera, Brodiaea, Dichelostemma
Dichelostemma
Dichelostemma is a genus of seven species of flowering plants in the order Asparagales. The genus is native to the western United States, especially in northern California, but also east to Utah and north to Oregon and southern Washington....
, and Triteleia. The latter two genera were once included as part of the genus Brodiaea.
The monophyly
Monophyly
In common cladistic usage, a monophyletic group is a taxon which forms a clade, meaning that it contains all the descendants of the possibly hypothetical closest common ancestor of the members of the group. The term is synonymous with the uncommon term holophyly...
of Brodiaea as presently defined is not entirely certain. It might be intermixed
Paraphyly
A group of taxa is said to be paraphyletic if the group consists of all the descendants of a hypothetical closest common ancestor minus one or more monophyletic groups of descendants...
with Dichelostemma.
Species
The following list of Brodiaea species is from Flora of North America.- Brodiaea appendiculataBrodiaea appendiculataBrodiaea appendiculata is an uncommon species of plant in the genus Brodiaea. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the mountain foothills in the north part of the state.-External links:**...
Hoover - appendage clusterlily - Brodiaea californicaBrodiaea californicaBrodiaea californica or by its common name California brodiaea is a species of plant in the genus Brodiaea that is native to California and Oregon.-External links:***...
Lindl. - California clusterlily- Brodiaea californica var. californica
- Brodiaea californica var. leptandra
- Brodiaea coronariaBrodiaea coronariaBrodiaea coronaria is the type species of Brodiaea and also known by the common name crown brodiaea. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to northern California, where it grows in mountains and grasslands.-Description:...
(Salisb.) Engl. - harvest clusterlily; Californian hyacinth- Brodiaea coronaria ssp. coronaria - harvest clusterlily
- Brodiaea coronaria ssp. rosea - harvest clusterlily
- Brodiaea elegansBrodiaea elegansBrodiaea elegans is a species of flowering plant in the cluster-lily genus known by the common names harvest brodiaea and elegant cluster-lily. It is native to the mountain ranges of California and Oregon, where it grows in woodlands and meadows. This perennial produces a stout stemlike...
Hoover - elegant clusterlily- Brodiaea elegans ssp. elegans - elegant clusterlily
- Brodiaea elegans ssp. hooveri - Hoover's cluster-lily
- Brodiaea filifoliaBrodiaea filifoliaBrodiaea filifolia is a rare species of flowering plant in the cluster-lily genus known by the common name threadleaf brodiaea. It is endemic to southern California, mostly in the region around the junction of Orange, Riverside, and San Diego Counties, where it is a resident of scattered remaining...
S. Watson - threadleaf clusterlily - Brodiaea insignisBrodiaea insignisBrodiaea insignis is a rare species of flowering plant in the cluster-lily genus known by the common name Kaweah brodiaea. It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada foothills of central Tulare County, California, where it grows along the Tule and Kaweah Rivers...
(Jeps.) Niehaus - Kaweah clusterlily - Brodiaea jolonensisBrodiaea jolonensisBrodiaea jolonensis is a species of flowering plant in the cluster-lily genus known by the common name chaparral brodiaea. It is native to the coast and coastal mountain ranges of the southern half of California and northern Baja California...
Eastw. - chaparral clusterlily - Brodiaea kinkiensisBrodiaea kinkiensisBrodiaea kinkiensis is a species of Brodiaea also with the common name San Clemente Island brodiaea. This flower is endemic to San Clemente Island, one of the Channel Islands of California. It has one cylindrical leaf alongside a tall stem which bears an inflorescence of one to several bell-shaped...
Niehaus - San Clemente Island clusterlily - Brodiaea minorBrodiaea minorBrodiaea minor is a species of flowering plant in the cluster-lily genus known by the common names dwarf brodiaea and vernalpool brodiaea. It is endemic to central California, where it grows in the grassland habitat of the Central Valley and adjacent Sierra Nevada foothills...
(Benth.) S. Watson - vernalpool clusterlily - Brodiaea orcuttiiBrodiaea orcuttiiBrodiaea orcuttii is a species of flowering plant in the cluster-lily genus known by the common name Orcutt's brodiaea. It is native to southern California, mainly San Diego County, where it is an uncommon species. Its range probably extends into Baja California...
(Greene) Baker - Orcutt's clusterlily - Brodiaea pallidaBrodiaea pallidaBrodiaea pallida is a rare species of flowering plant in the cluster-lily genus known by the common name Chinese Camp brodiaea. It is endemic to California, where it is known from a two populations along the border between Tuolumne and Calaveras Counties...
Hoover - Chinese Camp clusterlily - Brodiaea purdyi Eastw. - Sierran clusterlily
- Brodiaea santarosaeBrodiaea santarosaeBrodiaea santarosae is a rare Brodiaea species known by the common name Santa Rosa brodiaea and Santa Rosa Basalt brodiaea. It is endemic to southern California, mostly in the region around the junction of Orange, Riverside, and San Diego Counties and limited to ancient basaltic soils. There are...
T. Chester, W. Armstrong & K. Madore - Santa Rosa basalt brodiaea - Brodiaea stellarisBrodiaea stellarisBrodiaea stellaris is a species of flowering plant in the cluster-lily genus known by the common name starflower brodiaea. It is endemic to northern California, where it grows on the serpentine soils of the North Coast Ranges. This perennial produces a short inflorescence only a few centimeters...
S. Watson - starflower clusterlily - Brodiaea terrestrisBrodiaea terrestrisBrodiaea terrestris is a species of plant in the genus Brodiaea that is native to California and Oregon.There are two subspecies: Brodiaea terrestris ssp. kernensis and Brodiaea terrestris ssp. terrestris .-External links:**...
Kellogg - dwarf clusterlily- Brodiaea terrestris ssp. kernensis - Kern clusterlily
- Brodiaea terrestris ssp. terrestris - dwarf clusterlily
Sources: GRIN, NRCS