Comesperma
Encyclopedia
Comesperma is a genus
of shrub
s, herb
s and liana
s in the family Polygalaceae
. The genus is endemic to Australia
. It was defined by the French botanist Jacques Labillardière
in his 1806 work Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen
. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek
words come "hair", and sperma "seed", and relates to the seeds bearing tufts of hair. The genus is distributed over southern Australia, particularly in the southwest of Western Australia, where 19 species are found. 24 species have been described.
The genus was classified in the tribe Polygaleae by Swiss botanist Robert Hippolyte Chodat
in 1896. It was also considered a section of the genus Bredemeyera by van Steenis in 1968. This was not adopted widely, and a cladistic study based on morphology published in 1993 suggested they remain as separate genera. This analysis placed Comersperma basal to a group comprising the genera Polygala, Monnina
subg. Monninopsis, Nylandtia, Muralita and Epirixanthes.
They are generally small shrubs, climbers or trailing plants, with small to vestigial leaves arranged alternately on the stem. The flowers resemble those of pea-flowers, and are borne in raceme
s. They are generally pink through shades of purple to blue in colour, although yellow-flowered species are known. Although the flowers are smaller than those of the related genus Polygala
, the racemes can be showy, especially of floriferous species such as Comesperma ericinum
.
Comesperma ericinum and C. volubile
are sometimes seen in cultivation.
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 shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s, 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 and liana
Liana
A liana is any of various long-stemmed, woody vines that are rooted in the soil at ground level and use trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy to get access to well-lit areas of the forest. Lianas are especially characteristic of tropical moist deciduous...
s in the family Polygalaceae
Polygalaceae
The Polygalaceae or Milkwort family is a family of flowering plants in the order Fabales. They have a near-cosmopolitan range, with about 17 genera and 900–1,000 species of herbs, shrubs and trees...
. The genus is endemic to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It was defined by the French botanist Jacques Labillardière
Jacques Labillardière
Jacques-Julien Houtou de Labillardière was a French naturalist noted for his descriptions of the flora of Australia. Labillardière was a member of a voyage in search of the La Pérouse expedition...
in his 1806 work Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen
Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen
Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen is a two volume work describing the flora of Australia. The author was the French botanist Jacques Labillardière, who visited the region in 1792 with the d'Entrecasteaux expedition...
. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
words come "hair", and sperma "seed", and relates to the seeds bearing tufts of hair. The genus is distributed over southern Australia, particularly in the southwest of Western Australia, where 19 species are found. 24 species have been described.
The genus was classified in the tribe Polygaleae by Swiss botanist Robert Hippolyte Chodat
Robert Hippolyte Chodat
Robert Hippolyte Chodat was a Swiss botanist and phycologist who was a professor and director of the botanical institute at the University of Geneva....
in 1896. It was also considered a section of the genus Bredemeyera by van Steenis in 1968. This was not adopted widely, and a cladistic study based on morphology published in 1993 suggested they remain as separate genera. This analysis placed Comersperma basal to a group comprising the genera Polygala, Monnina
Monnina
Monnina is a genus of plant in family Polygalaceae. It contains the following species :* Monnina chimborazeana, Chodat* Monnina equatoriensis, Chodat* Monnina haughtii, Ferreyra...
subg. Monninopsis, Nylandtia, Muralita and Epirixanthes.
They are generally small shrubs, climbers or trailing plants, with small to vestigial leaves arranged alternately on the stem. The flowers resemble those of pea-flowers, and are borne in raceme
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
s. They are generally pink through shades of purple to blue in colour, although yellow-flowered species are known. Although the flowers are smaller than those of the related genus Polygala
Polygala
Polygala is a genus of about 500 species of flowering plants belonging to the family Polygalaceae, commonly known as milkwort or snakeroot...
, the racemes can be showy, especially of floriferous species such as Comesperma ericinum
Comesperma ericinum
Comesperma ericinum, commonly known as Heath Milkwort, pink matchheads or Pyramid Flower, is a slender shrub of the family Polygalaceae....
.
Comesperma ericinum and C. volubile
Comesperma volubile
Comesperma volubile, commonly known as Love Creeper, is a slender climber in the family Polygalaceae.It grows to between 1 and 2 metres high. The leaves are 10 to 50 mm long and 1 to 5 mm wide. Blue or pale purple flowers are produced in spays from July to December in the species native range...
are sometimes seen in cultivation.
Species
- Comesperma acerosum Steetz
- Comesperma aphyllum Benth.
- Comesperma breviflorum Pedley
- Comesperma calcicola Keighery
- Comesperma calymega Labill. - Blue-spike Milkwort
- Comesperma ciliatum Steetz
- Comesperma confertum Labill.
- Comesperma defoliatum F.Muell.
- Comesperma drummondii Steetz - Drummond's Milkwort
- Comesperma ericinumComesperma ericinumComesperma ericinum, commonly known as Heath Milkwort, pink matchheads or Pyramid Flower, is a slender shrub of the family Polygalaceae....
DC. - Pyramid Flower, Heath Milkwort - Comesperma esulifolium (Gand.) Prain
- Comesperma flavum DC.
- Comesperma griffinii Keighery
- Comesperma hispidulum Pedley
- Comesperma integerrimum Endl.
- Comesperma lanceolatum Benth.
- Comesperma nudiusculum DC.
- Comesperma oblongatum (Benth.)
- Comesperma pallidum Pedley
- Comesperma patentifolium F.Muell.
- Comesperma polygaloides F.Muell. - Small Milkwort
- Comesperma praecelsum F.Muell.
- Comesperma retusum Labill.
- Comesperma rhadinocarpum F.Muell. - Slender-fruited Comesperma
- Comesperma scopariumComesperma scopariumComesperma scoparium is a small broom-like shrub of the family Polygalaceae. It usually grows to between 0.3 and 1.2 metres high and produces blue flowers between February and November in its native range....
J.Drumm. - Broom Milkwort - Comesperma secundum DC.
- Comesperma sphaerocarpumComesperma sphaerocarpumComesperma sphaerocarpum, commonly known as the Broom Milkwort, is an Australian plant in the Milkwort family. Inconspicuous unless in flower, it grows from 10 to 30 cm high. The stems are ridged and usually leafless, and arise from the plant's woody base. The rarely seen leaves are at the base...
Steetz - Comesperma spinosum F.Muell. - Spiny Milkwort
- Comesperma sylvestre Lindl.
- Comesperma virgatum Labill. - Milkwort
- Comesperma viscidulum F.Muell.
- Comesperma volubileComesperma volubileComesperma volubile, commonly known as Love Creeper, is a slender climber in the family Polygalaceae.It grows to between 1 and 2 metres high. The leaves are 10 to 50 mm long and 1 to 5 mm wide. Blue or pale purple flowers are produced in spays from July to December in the species native range...
Labill. - Love Creeper - Comesperma xanthocarpum Steud.