Grahamia (plant)

Grahamia
Grahamia bracteata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Anacampserotaceae
Genus: Grahamia
Gillies, 1833 ex Hook. & Arn.
Species[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Talinopsis A. Gray, 1852
  • Talinaria Brandegee, 1906
  • Xenia Gerbaulet, 1992

Grahamia is a genus of succulent plants in the family Anacampserotaceae which contains six species which show a disjunct distribution, three species being found in northern Argentina, two in Mexico and one in Australia.

Distribution and taxonomy

Three species Grahamia bracteata, Grahamia kurtzii and Grahamia vulcanensis are found in northern Argentina while Grahamia coahuilensis occurs in central Mexico and Grahamia frutescens is found in n northern Mexico. Grahamia australiana is endemic to Australia. The genus Grahamia is divided into two subgenera, subgenusGrahamia contains G. bracteata and G, fructesecens which are low, scrambling small shrubs with stiff branches and cylindrical, rather smooth leaves; while Grahamia subgenus Talinaria are succulent, long-lived herbs with distinct succukent leaves on weak fleshy branches whith the leaves aggregated near the branch tips.[3] G. australiana was previously considered to be a member of the genus Anacampseros and the remaining species were placed in four monotypic genera, except for G. vulcanensis which was not considered. It is now thought that all six species are best considered in a single genus as proposed by G.D. Rowley.[3] Other authorities, however, placed G. vulcanensis in Anacampseros.[2]

Brief description

The species of Grahamia vary from partially deciduous small shrubs with succulkent leaves to perennial succulent herbs but they all have a single tuberous tap root. The leaves are glabrous, except for the axils, and may be flat or cylindrical in shape. The inflorescences are grouped in 3-6 scapes or in loose terminal cymes.[2]

Naming

The generic name Grahamia honours the Scottish botanist and physician Robert Graham 1786-1845 and for English traveler and writer Maria Graham 1785-1842.[2][4][5]

References

  1. ↑ "Grahamia ". The Plant List. ThePlantList.org. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Urs Eggli, ed. (2002). Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Dicotyledons. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 386–387. ISBN 3540419667.
  3. 1 2 Reto Nyfeller (2007). "The Closest Relatives of Cacti: Insights from Phylogenetic Analyses of Chloroplats and Mitochondrial Sequences with Special Emphasis on Relationships in the Tribe Anacampseroteae" (PDF). American Journal of Botany. 94 (1): 89–101.
  4. ↑ W.J. Hooker and G.A.W. Arnott. Botanical Miscellany. vol. 3. pp. 331-332. 1833.
  5. ↑ W.J. Hooker. Exotic Flora. vol. 3 plate 189 ff. 1825.
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