Boerhavia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Boerhavia
Spiderling (Boerhavia intermedia)
Spiderling (Boerhavia intermedia)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Nyctaginaceae
Genus: Boerhavia
L.
species

See text

Boerhavia, the spiderlings, is a genus of about 40 species of annual or perennial herbaceous plants in the family Nyctaginaceae. The common name refers to the appearance of a spider or spider's web given by the numerous long, slender and interlocking stems of the inflorescences. Named for H. Boerhaave, Dutch botanist.

They are native to mostly warm tropical areas.

Selected species
  • Boerhavia anisophylla Torr. -- wineflower
  • Boerhavia coccinea P. Mill. -- scarlet spiderling
  • Boerhavia coulteri (Hook. f.) S. Wats. -- Coulter spiderling, Coulter's spiderling
  • Boerhavia diffusa L. -- red spiderling
  • Boerhavia erecta L. -- erect spiderling
  • Boerhavia gracillima Heimerl -- slim-stalk spiderling, slimstalk spiderling
  • Boerhavia herbstii Fosberg -- alena
  • Boerhavia intermedia M.E. Jones -- five-wing spiderling, fivewing spiderling, Jone's boerhavia
  • Boerhavia linearifolia Gray -- narrowleaf spiderling
  • Boerhavia mathisiana F.B. Jones -- Mathis' spiderling
  • Boerhavia megaptera Standl. -- annual spiderling, Tucson Mountain spiderling
  • Boerhavia pterocarpa S. Wats. -- Apache Pass spiderling
  • Boerhavia purpurascens Gray -- purple spiderling
  • Boerhavia repens L. --
  • Boerhavia scandens L. -- climbing spiderling, climbing wartclub, wishbone vine
  • Boerhavia spicata Choisy -- creeping spiderling
  • Boerhavia triquetra S. Wats. -- slender spiderling
  • Boerhavia wrightii Gray -- Wright's boerhavia


[edit] Cultivation and uses

Several species of Boerhavia are important weeds in agricultural and horticultural settings.

[edit] References and external links