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Proboscidea (genus)
Encyclopedia
Proboscidea is a genus
of flowering plant
in the family
Martyniaceae
, some of whose species are known as devil's claw, devil's horn, ram's horn, or unicorn plant. The plants produce long, hooked seed pods. The hooks catch on the feet of animals, and as the animals walk, the pods are ground or crushed open, dispersing the seeds. The name devil's claw is shared with the South Africa
n plant Harpagophytum procumbens.
Some species (particularly P. parviflora) are used in basket weaving
by the Tohono O'odham
who have selected for varieties with longer "claws."
The Hia ced O'odham and the Tohono O'odham eat the seeds, in ancient times seeds provided an important source of dietary oils.
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Proboscidea lutea is a synonym of Ibicella lutea
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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...
in 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...
Martyniaceae
Martyniaceae
Martyniaceae is a family of flowering plants in the Lamiales order that are restricted to the New World. The family was included in Pedaliaceae in the Cronquist system but is recognized as a separate family by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group on the basis of phylogenetic studies that show that the...
, some of whose species are known as devil's claw, devil's horn, ram's horn, or unicorn plant. The plants produce long, hooked seed pods. The hooks catch on the feet of animals, and as the animals walk, the pods are ground or crushed open, dispersing the seeds. The name devil's claw is shared with the South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n plant Harpagophytum procumbens.
Uses
The fruits of all species are edible before they ripen and become woody, they can be steamed and eaten much like okra.Some species (particularly P. parviflora) are used in basket weaving
Basket weaving
Basket weaving is the process of weaving unspun vegetable fibres into a basket or other similar form. People and artists who weave baskets are called basketmakers and basket weavers.Basketry is made from a variety of fibrous or pliable materials•anything that will bend and form a shape...
by the Tohono O'odham
Tohono O'odham
The Tohono O'odham are a group of Native American people who reside primarily in the Sonoran Desert of the southeastern Arizona and northwest Mexico...
who have selected for varieties with longer "claws."
The Hia ced O'odham and the Tohono O'odham eat the seeds, in ancient times seeds provided an important source of dietary oils.
Lepidoptera
Two species of Proboscidea that grow in Arizona are the only known hosts of Manduca sexta (tomato hornworm) outside the family SolanaceaeSolanaceae
Solanaceae are a family of flowering plants that include a number of important agricultural crops as well as many toxic plants. The name of the family comes from the Latin Solanum "the nightshade plant", but the further etymology of that word is unclear...
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Species
Species include:- Proboscidea althaeifoliaProboscidea althaeifoliaProboscidea althaeifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Martyniaceae known by the common names desert unicorn plant and yellow-flowered devil's claw. It is native to the desert southwest of the United States, where it grows in sandy habitat and blooms during the hot summer. This is a...
- devil's horn, devil's claw, or desert unicorn plant - Proboscidea louisianica - ram's horn
- Proboscidea parvifloraProboscidea parvifloraProboscidea parviflora is a species of flowering plant in the family Martyniaceae known by the common names doubleclaw and red devil's-claw. It is native to the desert southwest of the United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in sandy, dry, and disturbed habitat and blooms during the hot...
- doubleclaw, (red) devil's claw - Proboscidea sabulosa - dune unicorn plant
- Proboscidea spicata - New Mexico unicorn plant
Proboscidea lutea is a synonym of Ibicella lutea
Ibicella lutea
Ibicella lutea |syn.]] Martynia lutea, Proboscidea lutea) is a species of flowering plant known by the common names devil's claw, unicorn plant, martynia, proboscis flower, and ram's horn. It grows in dry conditions, such as those in desert regions...
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