Sowerbaea
Encyclopedia
Sowerbaea is a small genus
of perennial herb
s which are native to Australia
.
The genus is placed in the family
Asparagaceae
, subfamily Lomandroideae
. It has also been included in Anthericaceae and Liliaceae
.
Some species may have annual above ground growth, and its habit is erect or climbing. Leaves are alternate.
The flowers are aggregated to form an inflorescence, this may be white or lilac and purple shades of pink.
Species include:
The genus was first described by James Smith
in 1798. The first species to be described, Sowerbaea juncea Andrews (1800), was in the Botanists Repository, with a 1798 illustration of a specimen growing in England. The seeds of the species were cultivated to England
, sometime shortly after the founding of the colony in New South Wales
. Smith also described the species in the same year as Andrews, the nomination was superfluous.
The next species to be described was Sowerbaea laxiflora Lindl.
(1839), this was found in Western Australia
. Three of the five species are found in that state.
The genus is named after a botanical illustrator, James Sowerby
.
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 perennial 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 which are native 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...
.
The genus is placed 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...
Asparagaceae
Asparagaceae
Asparagaceae is the botanical name of a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots.In earlier classification systems, the species involved were often treated as belonging to the family Liliaceae...
, subfamily Lomandroideae
Lomandroideae
Lomandroideae is a subfamily of monocot flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, order Asparagales, according to the APG III system of 2009. The subfamily name is derived from the generic name of the type genus, Lomandra. The group has previously been treated as a separate family Laxmanniaceae...
. It has also been included in Anthericaceae and Liliaceae
Liliaceae
The Liliaceae, or the lily family, is a family of monocotyledons in the order Liliales. Plants in this family have linear leaves, mostly with parallel veins but with several having net venation , and flower arranged in threes. Several have bulbs, while others have rhizomes...
.
Some species may have annual above ground growth, and its habit is erect or climbing. Leaves are alternate.
The flowers are aggregated to form an inflorescence, this may be white or lilac and purple shades of pink.
Species include:
- Sowerbaea alliacea F.Muell.
- Sowerbaea juncea Andrews, commonly known as Rush Lily, Vanilla Plant, Chocolate Flower, or Chocolate Lily
- Sowerbaea laxiflora Lindl., also known as Purple Tassels or Vanilla Lily
- Sowerbaea multicaulis E.Pritz., also known as Many-stemmed Lliy
- Sowerbaea subtilis D.A.Stewart
The genus was first described by James Smith
James Edward Smith
Sir James Edward Smith was an English botanist and founder of the Linnean Society.Smith was born in Norwich in 1759, the son of a wealthy wool merchant. He displayed a precocious interest in the natural world...
in 1798. The first species to be described, Sowerbaea juncea Andrews (1800), was in the Botanists Repository, with a 1798 illustration of a specimen growing in England. The seeds of the species were cultivated to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, sometime shortly after the founding of the colony in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. Smith also described the species in the same year as Andrews, the nomination was superfluous.
The next species to be described was Sowerbaea laxiflora Lindl.
John Lindley
John Lindley FRS was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist.-Early years:Born in Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four children of George and Mary Lindley. George Lindley was a nurseryman and pomologist and ran a commercial nursery garden...
(1839), this was found in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. Three of the five species are found in that state.
The genus is named after a botanical illustrator, James Sowerby
James Sowerby
James Sowerby was an English naturalist and illustrator. Contributions to published works, such as A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland or English Botany, include his detailed and appealing plates...
.