''Boerhavia'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of over 100

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

in the

Nyctaginaceae Nyctaginaceae, the four o'clock family, is a family of around 33 genera and 290 species of flowering plants, widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, with a few representatives in temperate regions. The family has a unique fruit t ...

family. The genus was named for

Herman Boerhaave Herman Boerhaave (, 31 December 1668 – 23 September 1738Underwood, E. Ashworth. "Boerhaave After Three Hundred Years." ''The British Medical Journal'' 4, no. 5634 (1968): 820–25. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20395297.) was a Dutch botanist, ...

, a

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

botanist, and the genus name is frequently misspelled "''Boerhaavia''". Common names include spiderlings and hogweeds.

Taxonomy

There are over 100 species in the genus ''Boerhavia'', which is in the family

, which includes the

four o'clock flower ''Mirabilis jalapa'', the marvel of Peru or four o'clock flower, is the most commonly grown ornamental species of ''Mirabilis'' plant, and is available in a range of colors. ''Mirabilis'' in Latin means wonderful and Jalapa (or Xalapa) is the st ...

. The genus was named for the Dutch botanist Herman Boerhaave, and often misspelt as "Boerhaavia". Common names include spiderlings and hogweeds.

Description

Some species are

annual Annual may refer to: * Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year **Yearbook ** Literary annual * Annual plant * Annual report * Annual giving * Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco * Annuals (b ...

s and others

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

s. In

habit A habit (or wont as a humorous and formal term) is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously.

they generally are

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

. "Spiderling" refers to the appearance of those species that bear

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

s on numerous long, slender stems, interlocking in a manner suggestive of a

spider Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...

or spider's web. ''Boerhavia'' species generally are native to warm tropical regions.

Significance

Several species of ''Boerhavia'' are of importance as agricultural and horticultural weeds. Some are valued as

forage Forage is a plant material (mainly plant leaves and stems) eaten by grazing livestock. Historically, the term ''forage'' has meant only plants eaten by the animals directly as pasture, crop residue, or immature cereal crops, but it is also used m ...

for grazing livestock, and some, such as ''

Boerhavia erecta ''Boerhavia erecta'', commonly known as the erect spiderling or the erect boerhavia, is one of more than 100 species in the genus ''Boerhavia'' L. ''Boerhavia erecta'' is native to the United States, Mexico, Central America and western South Ame ...

'', also are of use as human food and

folk medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

Selected species

*''

Boerhavia anisophylla ''Boerhavia'' is a genus of over 100 species in the Nyctaginaceae family. The genus was named for Herman Boerhaave, a Dutch botanist, and the genus name is frequently misspelled "''Boerhaavia''". Common names include spiderlings and hogweeds. T ...

'' Torr. – wineflower *'' Boerhavia boissieri'' *''

Boerhavia coccinea ''Boerhavia coccinea'' is a species of flowering plant in the Nyctaginaceae, four o'clock family which is known by many common names, including scarlet spiderling, red boerhavia, and in Spanish language, Spanish, ''hierba del cancer'' and ''hierb ...

'' P.Mill. – scarlet spiderling *''

Boerhavia coulteri ''Boerhavia coulteri'' is a species of flowering plant in the four o'clock family known by the common name Coulter's spiderling. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, particularly the desert areas. This is an annual ...

'' (Hook.f.) S.Wats. - Coulter spiderling, Coulter's spiderling *''

Boerhavia diffusa ''Boerhaavia diffusa'' is a species of flowering plant in the Nyctaginaceae, four o'clock family which is commonly known as punarnava (meaning that which rejuvenates or renews the body in Ayurveda), red spiderling, spreading hogweed, or tarvine. ...

'' L. – red spiderling *''

Boerhavia dominii ''Boerhavia dominii'', commonly known as tarvine, is a species of flowering plant in the four o'clock family. It is native to Australia. It is a prostrate perennial herb growing up to 1 metre in diameter. Leaves are about 40 mm long and 2 ...

'' Meikle & Hewson – tah-vine *''

Boerhavia elegans ''Boerhavia elegans'' is a species of flowering plants in the four o'clock flower family, Nyctaginaceae. It is one of the species that compose the "tortoise turf", the food source of the Aldabra giant tortoise, of the Aldabra Atoll in the Seyche ...

'' *''

'' L. – erect spiderling *''

Boerhavia gracillima ''Boerhavia gracillima,'' the slimstalk spiderling, is a plant species native to Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. ...

'' Heimerl – slim-stalk spiderling, slimstalk spiderling *''

Boerhavia herbstii ''Boerhavia'' is a genus of over 100 species in the Nyctaginaceae family. The genus was named for Herman Boerhaave, a Dutch botanist, and the genus name is frequently misspelled "''Boerhaavia''". Common names include spiderlings and hogweeds. T ...

'' Fosberg – alena *''

Boerhavia intermedia ''Boerhavia intermedia'' is a species of spiderling plant known by the common name five-wing spiderling. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the common weed ''Boerhavia erecta''. This spiderling is a fairly widespread annual herb of the s ...

'' M.E.Jones – five-wing spiderling, fivewing spiderling *''

Boerhavia linearifolia ''Boerhavia'' is a genus of over 100 species in the Nyctaginaceae family. The genus was named for Herman Boerhaave, a Dutch botanist, and the genus name is frequently misspelled "''Boerhaavia''". Common names include spiderlings and hogweeds. T ...

'' Gray – narrowleaf spiderling *''

Boerhavia mathisiana ''Boerhavia'' is a genus of over 100 species in the Nyctaginaceae family. The genus was named for Herman Boerhaave, a Dutch botanist, and the genus name is frequently misspelled "''Boerhaavia''". Common names include spiderlings and hogweeds. T ...

'' F.B.Jones – Mathis' spiderling *''

Boerhavia megaptera ''Boerhavia'' is a genus of over 100 species in the Nyctaginaceae family. The genus was named for Herman Boerhaave, a Dutch botanist, and the genus name is frequently misspelled "''Boerhaavia''". Common names include spiderlings and hogweeds. T ...

'' Standl. – annual spiderling, Tucson Mountain spiderling *''

Boerhavia pterocarpa ''Boerhavia'' is a genus of over 100 species in the Nyctaginaceae family. The genus was named for Herman Boerhaave, a Dutch botanist, and the genus name is frequently misspelled "''Boerhaavia''". Common names include spiderlings and hogweeds. T ...

'' S.Wats. – Apache Pass spiderling *''

Boerhavia purpurascens ''Boerhavia'' is a genus of over 100 species in the Nyctaginaceae family. The genus was named for Herman Boerhaave, a Dutch botanist, and the genus name is frequently misspelled "''Boerhaavia''". Common names include spiderlings and hogweeds. T ...

'' Gray – purple spiderling *''

Boerhavia repens ''Boerhavia'' is a genus of over 100 species in the Nyctaginaceae family. The genus was named for Herman Boerhaave, a Dutch botanist, and the genus name is frequently misspelled "''Boerhaavia''". Common names include spiderlings and hogweeds. T ...

'' L. *'' Boerhavia scandens'' L. – climbing spiderling, climbing wartclub, wishbone vine *''

Boerhavia spicata ''Boerhavia'' is a genus of over 100 species in the Nyctaginaceae family. The genus was named for Herman Boerhaave, a Dutch Republic, Dutch botanist, and the genus name is frequently misspelled "''Boerhaavia''". Common names include spiderlings ...

'' Choisy – creeping spiderling * ''Boerhavia tetrandra'' G.Forst. Range:

Lord Howe Island Lord Howe Island (; formerly Lord Howe's Island) is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of the Australian state of New South Wales. It lies directly east of mainland P ...

, Pacific islands,

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

Polynesia Polynesia () "many" and νῆσος () "island"), to, Polinisia; mi, Porinihia; haw, Polenekia; fj, Polinisia; sm, Polenisia; rar, Porinetia; ty, Pōrīnetia; tvl, Polenisia; tkl, Polenihia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of ...

Micronesia Micronesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, consisting of about 2,000 small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with three other island regions: the Philippines to the west, Polynesia to the east, and ...

. Native names across the Pacific Islands include runa, paikea, tiale katuli, tiare katuri, katuri, naunau, and momoe. Found on

Bramble Cay Bramble Cay, also known as Maizab Kaur (also spelt Maizub Kaur) and Massaramcoer, is a small cay located at the northeastern edge of Australia and the Torres Strait Islands of Queensland and at the northern end of the Great Barrier Reef. Lying ...

in the

Torres Strait The Torres Strait (), also known as Zenadh Kes, is a strait between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. It is wide at its narrowest extent. To the south is Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost extremity of the Australian mai ...

, and eaten as a type of

spinach Spinach (''Spinacia oleracea'') is a leafy green flowering plant native to central and western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common edible vegetable consumed either f ...

by humans. *''

Boerhavia triquetra Boerhavia triquetra, with the common names creeping sticky stem, slender spiderling, spiderling, is an annual desert plant in the four o'clock family (Nyctaginaceae). It is native to California and Arizona, in habitats of the Mojave Desert and ...

'' S.Wats. – slender spiderling *'' Boerhavia wrightii'' Gray – Wright's boerhavia

Gallery

File:Boerhavia diffusa in AP W2 IMG 8087.jpg, ''

'' in

Amaravathi village, Guntur district Amaravathi is a village on the banks of the Krishna River, in the Palnadu district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the headquarters of Amaravathi mandal, and forms part of the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region with its headquarters a ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. File:Boerhavia erecta in Hyderabad W IMG 8889.jpg, ''

'' in

Hyderabad, India Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the '' de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern In ...

. File:Boerhavia erecta in Hyderabad W IMG 8887.jpg, ''B. erecta'' in Hyderabad File:Boerhavia erecta in Hyderabad W IMG 8886.jpg, ''B. erecta'' in Hyderabad File:Boerhavia (7596963712).jpg

References

Caryophyllales genera {{Caryophyllales-stub