Ruellia

Ruellia
Ruellia tuberosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Acanthaceae
Subfamily: Acanthoideae
Tribe: Ruellieae
Genus: Ruellia
L.[1]
Species

Many, see text

Synonyms

Aphragmia Nees
Arrhostoxylum Nees
Brunoniella Bremek.
Copioglossa Miers
Cryphiacanthus Nees
Dinteracanthus C.B.Clarke ex Schinz
Dipteracanthus Nees
Endosiphon T.Anderson ex Benth. & Hook.f.
Gymnacanthus Nees
Gymnacanthus Oerst.
Leptosiphonium F.Muell.
Nothoruellia Bremek.
Pararuellia Bremek.
Pattersonia J.F.Gmel.
Sclerocalyx Nees
Stenoschista Bremek.
Stephanophysum Pohl
Tacoanthus Baill.

Ruellia is a genus of flowering plants. Commonly known as ruellias or wild petunias,[2] they are not closely related to petunias (Petunia). Both genera belong to the same euasterid clade, however. The genus was named in honor of Jean Ruelle, herbalist and physician to Francis I of France and translator of several works of Pedanius Dioscorides.

Apart from the numerous formerly independent genera nowadays considered synonymous with Ruellia, the segregate genera Blechum, Eusiphon, Polylychnis and Ulleria are often included in Ruellia. Acanthopale, however, is nowadays considered a distinct genus.

Ruellias are popular ornamental plants. Some are used as medicinal plants, but many are known or suspected to be poisonous. Regardless, their leaves are food for the caterpillars of several Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), typically Nymphalinae and in particular members of their tribe Junoniini. Nymphalinae using Ruellia as host plants include:

Selected species

Formerly placed here

Numerous plants, usually Acanthaceae, were erroneously assigned to Ruellia. Some examples are:

See also

References

  1. ^ "Genus: Ruellia L.". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2009-01-23. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?10578. Retrieved 2010-05-26. 
  2. ^ a b "Ruellia". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=34371. Retrieved 2011-05-20. 
  3. ^ a b "GRIN Species Records of Ruellia". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?10578. Retrieved 2011-05-20. 

External links