Chamaecrista
Encyclopedia
Chamaecrista is a genus of flowering plant
s in the pea
family, Fabaceae
, subfamily Caesalpinioideae
. Members of the genus are commonly known as sensitive pea. Several species are capable of rapid plant movement
.
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 pea
Pea
A pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the pod fruit Pisum sativum. Each pod contains several peas. Peapods are botanically a fruit, since they contain seeds developed from the ovary of a flower. However, peas are considered to be a vegetable in cooking...
family, Fabaceae
Fabaceae
The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. The group is the third largest land plant family, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 730 genera and over 19,400 species...
, subfamily Caesalpinioideae
Caesalpinioideae
Caesalpinioideae is a botanical name at the rank of subfamily, placed in the large family Fabaceae or Leguminosae. Its name is formed from the generic name Caesalpinia....
. Members of the genus are commonly known as sensitive pea. Several species are capable of rapid plant movement
Rapid plant movement
Rapid plant movement encompasses movement in plant structures occurring over a very short period of time, usually under one second. For example, the Venus Flytrap closes its trap in about 100 milliseconds. The Dogwood Bunchberry's flower opens its petals and fires pollen in less than 0.5 milliseconds...
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Selected species
- Chamaecrista bucheraeChamaecrista bucheraeChamaecrista bucherae is a species of legume in the Fabaceae family.It is found only in Cuba.-References:* Areces-Mallea, A.E. 1998. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
(Mold.) Irwin & Barneby (CubaCubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
) - Chamaecrista fasciculataChamaecrista fasciculataChamaecrista fasciculata is a species of legume native to most of the eastern United States. It is an annual which grows to approximately 0.5 meters tall...
Michx. – Showy Partridge Pea - Chamaecrista glandulosaChamaecrista glandulosaChamaecrista glandulosa is a species of flowering plant in the legume family native to the Americas. Its distribution extends from Mexico to Brazil and it occurs on many Caribbean islands.There are many varieties of this plant:...
(L.) Greene – Jamaican Broom - Chamaecrista nictitansChamaecrista nictitansChamaecrista nictitans is a herbaceous species of legume widely distributed through the temperate and tropical Americas...
(L.) Moench