Herbertia
Encyclopedia
Herbertia is a small genus
of herbaceous
, perennial and bulbous plants in the Iris family (Iridaceae
).
, ovoid bulb
s with brown, dry, brittle and papery tunics. The stems
are simple or branched. The leaves
are few, with the basal ones larger than the others; the blade is pleated, linear-lanceolate
.
The inflorescence
s are rhipidia
, few-flowered; the spathes are green, unequal, with the inner spathe exceeding the outer, apex brown, acute, usually dry. The flower
s are short-lived, erect, unscented, actinomorphic; tepal
s spreading, distinct, blue to mauve with white markings, unequal, with the outer whorl more than 2 times than the inner; the anthers are diverging, appressed to the style branches; style slender, branching at apex of filament column and the branches diverging from the base, flattened, divided apical
ly into two slender lobes, apically stigmatic. The fruit is an ovoid capsule
with the apex truncate. Seed
s many, prismatic, with a brown seed coat. The basic chromosome
number is x = 7.
in U.S.A, and the others are distributed in template regions of South America
(Chile
, Argentina
, Paraguay
, Uruguay
Y Brasil). The genus is closely related to Alophia
, Cypella
, and Tigridia
.
The name of the genus is dedicated to William Herbert (1778–1847), a prominent British botanist and specialist in bulbous plants.
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 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...
, perennial 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...
).
Description
Herbaceous and perennial plants, from tunicateTunicate
Tunicates, also known as urochordates, are members of the subphylum Tunicata, previously known as Urochordata, a group of underwater saclike filter feeders with incurrent and excurrent siphons that is classified within the phylum Chordata. While most tunicates live on the ocean floor, others such...
, ovoid bulb
Bulb
A bulb is a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf bases. The leaves often function as food storage organs during dormancy.A bulb's leaf bases, known as scales, generally do not support leaves, but contain food reserves to enable the plant to survive adverse conditions. At the center of the bulb is...
s with brown, dry, brittle and papery tunics. The stems
Plant stem
A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant. The stem is normally divided into nodes and internodes, the nodes hold buds which grow into one or more leaves, inflorescence , conifer cones, roots, other stems etc. The internodes distance one node from another...
are simple or branched. The leaves
Leaves
-History:Vocalist Arnar Gudjonsson was formerly the guitarist with Mower, and he was joined by Hallur Hallsson , Arnar Ólafsson , Bjarni Grímsson , and Andri Ásgrímsson . Late in 2001 they played with Emiliana Torrini and drew early praise from the New York Times...
are few, with the basal ones larger than the others; the blade is pleated, linear-lanceolate
Leaf shape
In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms :* Acicular : Slender and pointed, needle-like* Acuminate : Tapering to a long point...
.
The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s are rhipidia
Rhipidia
Rhipidia is a genus of crane fly in the family Limoniidae.-Species:*Subgenus Eurhipidia *R. aoroneura *R. argema *R. brevifilosa...
, few-flowered; the spathes are green, unequal, with the inner spathe exceeding the outer, apex brown, acute, usually dry. The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are short-lived, erect, unscented, actinomorphic; 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 spreading, distinct, blue to mauve with white markings, unequal, with the outer whorl more than 2 times than the inner; the anthers are diverging, appressed to the style branches; style slender, branching at apex of filament column and the branches diverging from the base, flattened, divided apical
Apical dominance
In plant physiology, apical dominance is the phenomenon whereby the main central stem of the plant is dominant over other side stems; on a branch the main stem of the branch is further dominant over its own side branchlets....
ly into two slender lobes, apically stigmatic. The fruit is an ovoid capsule
Capsule (fruit)
In botany a capsule is a type of simple, dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. A capsule is a structure composed of two or more carpels that in most cases is dehiscent, i.e. at maturity, it splits apart to release the seeds within. A few capsules are indehiscent, for example...
with the apex truncate. Seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s many, prismatic, with a brown seed coat. The basic chromosome
Chromosome
A chromosome is an organized structure of DNA and protein found in cells. It is a single piece of coiled DNA containing many genes, regulatory elements and other nucleotide sequences. Chromosomes also contain DNA-bound proteins, which serve to package the DNA and control its functions.Chromosomes...
number is x = 7.
Taxonomy
Herbertia consists of 8 species, one of them is endemic to TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in U.S.A, and the others are distributed in template regions of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
(Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, 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...
, Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
Y Brasil). The genus is closely related to Alophia
Alophia
Alophia is a small genus of perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plants in the iris family . The genus comprise five species that occur from center and southern North America to Brazil and Argentina. The genus is closely related to Herbertia, Cypella and Tigridia, differentiating from them by some...
, 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...
.
The name of the genus is dedicated to William Herbert (1778–1847), a prominent British botanist and specialist in bulbous plants.