Calpurnia (genus)

Calpurnia
Inflorescence of C. sericea
Foliage and seed pods of C. aurea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Tribe: Podalyrieae[1][2]
Genus: Calpurnia
E.Meyer
Species

See text.

Calpurnia is a genus of flowering plants within the family Fabaceae. The genus comprises shrubs or small trees in or along the margin of forests in the eastern parts of South Africa. They shed leaves in winter unless in moist areas, where they are evergreen. They make good garden plants because they are easily raised from seed, flower at two years and withstand frost.

The species Calpurnia aurea is also known as Wild Laburnum or Wildegeelkeur (in Afrikaans). The bright yellow flowers have the typical form of the Fabaceae (pea family). They are borne in racemes and flowering can take place over several months. The flowers are visited by carpenter bees, after which the pollintated flowers turn into thin, straw-colored pods.

Species

Calpurnia comprises the following species:[3][4]

References

  1. Boatwright JS, Savolainen V, Van Wyk B-E, Schutte-Vlok AL, Forest F., Van der Bank M. (2008). "Systematic position of the anomalous genus Cadia and the phylogeny of the tribe Podalyrieae (Fabaceae)". Syst Bot 33 (1): 133–147. doi:10.1600/036364408783887500.
  2. Cardoso D, Pennington RT, de Queiroz LP, Boatwright JS, Van Wyk B-E, Wojciechowski MF, Lavin M. (2013). "Reconstructing the deep-branching relationships of the papilionoid legumes". S Afr J Bot 89: 58–75. doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2013.05.001.
  3. "ILDIS LegumeWeb entry for Calpurnia". International Legume Database & Information Service. Cardiff School of Computer Science & Informatics. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  4. USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. "GRIN species records of Calpurnia". Germplasm Resources Information Network—(GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
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