Russelia is a genus 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 plantain

Plantago

Plantago is a genus of about 200 species of small, inconspicuous plants commonly called plantains. They share this name with the very dissimilar plantain, a kind of banana. Most are herbaceous plants, though a few are subshrubs growing to 60 cm tall. The leaves are sessile, but have a narrow...

 family, Plantaginaceae

Plantaginaceae

Plantaginaceae Juss. or plantain family, are a family of flowering plants in the order Lamiales. The type genus is Plantago L..In older classifications it used to be the only family of the order Plantaginales, but numerous phylogenetic studies, summarized by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, have...

. It is sometimes placed in the families Scrophulariaceae

Scrophulariaceae

Scrophulariaceae, the figwort family, are a family of flowering plants. The plants are annual or perennial herbs with flowers with bilateral or rarely radial symmetry. Members of the Scrophulariaceae have a cosmopolitan distribution, with the majority found in temperate areas, including...

 or Veronicaceae. The name honours Scottish naturalist Alexander Russell (1715–1768). Members of the genus are commonly known as Firecracker plants or Coralblows. They are common garden plants, and are easily recognized by their brilliant red 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 that are shaped like slender vases. Russelia species grow in many parts of the world and are mildly drought

Drought

A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...

 resistant.

Russelia equisetiformis

Russelia equisetiformis

Russelia equisetiformis, commonly known as Firecracker plant, Coral plant, Coralblow and Fountain plant, is a weeping shrub in the Plantaginaceae family.- External links :***...

and Russelia sarmentosa are commonly used to hide unattractive retaining wall

Retaining wall

Retaining walls are built in order to hold back earth which would otherwise move downwards. Their purpose is to stabilize slopes and provide useful areas at different elevations, e.g...

s or fence

Fence

A fence is a freestanding structure designed to restrict or prevent movement across a boundary. It is generally distinguished from a wall by the lightness of its construction: a wall is usually restricted to such barriers made from solid brick or concrete, blocking vision as well as passage .Fences...

s because they grow quickly and have dense foliage. Growing to a maximum height of 1.8 m (5.9 ft), they are 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 which will tolerate full sun to partial shade. As evergreen

Evergreen

In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...

s they bloom for most of the year.

Due to their attractively coloured flowers, these bushes attract birds and insects (such as bee

Bee

Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...

s) that feed on flower nectar.

Selected species

Russelia acuminata Russelia alata Russelia alternifolia Russelia americana Russelia campechiana Standl. Paul Carpenter Standley Paul Carpenter Standley was an American botanist.Standley was born in Avalon, Missouri... Russelia capensis Russelia chiapensis Russelia coccinea Russelia colombiana Russelia contrerasii Russelia conzattii Russelia cora Russelia cuneata Russelia deamii Russelia depressa Russelia elongata Russelia ephedroides Russelia equisetiformis Russelia equisetiformis Russelia equisetiformis, commonly known as Firecracker plant, Coral plant, Coralblow and Fountain plant, is a weeping shrub in the Plantaginaceae family.- External links :***... Schltdl. Diederich Franz Leonhard von Schlechtendal Diederich von Schlechtendal was a German botanist born in Xanten. He was Professor of Botany and Director of the Botanical Gardens at the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg from 1833 until his death in 1866, and Editor of the botanical journal Linnaea.His most important work was in...  & Cham. Adelbert von Chamisso Adelbert von Chamisso was a German poet and botanist.- Life :He was born Louis Charles Adélaïde de Chamissot at the château of Boncourt at Ante, in Champagne, France, the ancestral seat of his family... – Fountainbush, Coral Plant Russelia equisitorum Russelia flammea Russelia flavoviridis Russelia floribunda Russelia furfuracea Russelia glandulifera Russelia grandidentata Russelia hintoni Russelia iltisneeana Russelia jaliscensis Russelia juncea Zucc. Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini was a German botanist, Professor of Botany at the University of München. He worked extensively with Philipp Franz von Siebold, assisting in describing his collections from Japan, but also described plants discovered in other areas, including Mexico.-References:... Russelia laciniata Russelia lanceifolia Russelia leptopoda Russelia lilacina Russelia longifolia Russelia longisepala Russelia maculosa Russelia manantlana

Russelia multiflora Russelia obtusata Russelia oldenlandioides Russelia ovatifolia Russelia oxyphylla Russelia paniculata Russelia parvifolia Russelia pennelliana Russelia polyedra Zucc. Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini was a German botanist, Professor of Botany at the University of München. He worked extensively with Philipp Franz von Siebold, assisting in describing his collections from Japan, but also described plants discovered in other areas, including Mexico.-References:... Russelia pringlei Russelia pubescens Russelia purpusii Russelia racemosa Russelia retrorsa Russelia rotundifolia Russelia rugosa Russelia sarmentosa Jacq. Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin Nikolaus Joseph Freiherr von Jacquin or Baron Nikolaus von Jacquin. was a scientist who studied medicine, chemistry and botany.... – Running Russelia, Leafy Coralblow Russelia serratifolia Russelia sonorensis Russelia staleyae Russelia standleyi Russelia steyermarkii Russelia subcoriacea Russelia syringaefolia Russelia tabascensis Russelia tenuis Russelia tepicensis Russelia teres Russelia ternifolia Russelia tetraptera Russelia tomentosa Russelia trachypleura Russelia verticillata Russelia villosa Russelia viscosa Russelia worthingtonii