''Calligonum'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclu ...

s in the family

Polygonaceae The Polygonaceae are a family of flowering plants known informally as the knotweed family or smartweed—buckwheat family in the United States. The name is based on the genus '' Polygonum'', and was first used by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in 1 ...

with about 80

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 ...

across the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...

region,

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

and North America.

Description

Plants of the genus ''Calligonum'' are shrubs, diffusely but irregularly branched, with flexuous woody branches. Leaves are simple, opposite, nearly sessile, linear or scale-like, sometimes absent or very small, linear or filiform, distinct or united with short membranous ochreae. Flowers are bisexual, solitary or in loose axillary inflorescences. Flowers have persistent, 5-parted

perianth The perianth (perigonium, perigon or perigone in monocots) is the non-reproductive part of the flower, and structure that forms an envelope surrounding the sexual organs, consisting of the calyx (sepals) and the corolla ( petals) or tepals when ...

s not accrescent in fruit, and 10-18 stamens with filaments connate at the base. The ovary is tetragonous.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Calligonum'' was first published by

Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his Nobility#Ennoblement, ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalise ...

in 1753. It is placed in the subfamily

Polygonoideae Polygonoideae is a subfamily of plants in the family Polygonaceae. It includes a number of plants that can be highly invasive, such as Japanese knotweed, ''Reynoutria japonica'', and its hybrid with '' R. sachalinensis'', ''R.'' × ''bohemica ...

, tribe Calligoneae, along with its sister genus, ''

Pteropyrum ''Pteropyrum'' is a genus of plants in the family Polygonaceae. Plants of the World Online accepts two species, native to Iran, Oman and the Gulf States. Description Species of ''Pteropyrum'' are shrubs. The few leaves may be arranged alternate ...

''.

Species

*'' Calligonum acanthopterum'' I.G.Borshch. *''

Calligonum alatosetosum ''Calligonum'' is a genus of plants in the family Polygonaceae with about 80 species across the Mediterranean Sea region, Asia and North America. Description Plants of the genus ''Calligonum'' are shrubs, diffusely but irregularly branched, w ...

'' Maassoumi & Kazempour *'' Calligonum aphyllum'' (Pall.) Gürke *'' Calligonum arborescens'' Litv. *'' Calligonum azel'' Maire *''

Calligonum babakianum ''Calligonum'' is a genus of plants in the family Polygonaceae with about 80 species across the Mediterranean Sea region, Asia and North America. Description Plants of the genus ''Calligonum'' are shrubs, diffusely but irregularly branched, w ...

'' Godw. *'' Calligonum bakuense'' Litv. *''

Calligonum bucocladum ''Calligonum'' is a genus of plants in the family Polygonaceae with about 80 species across the Mediterranean Sea region, Asia and North America. Description Plants of the genus ''Calligonum'' are shrubs, diffusely but irregularly branched, w ...

'' Bunge *''

Calligonum bykovii ''Calligonum'' is a genus of plants in the family Polygonaceae with about 80 species across the Mediterranean Sea region, Asia and North America. Description Plants of the genus ''Calligonum'' are shrubs, diffusely but irregularly branched, w ...

'' Godw. *''

Calligonum calvescens ''Calligonum'' is a genus of plants in the family Polygonaceae with about 80 species across the Mediterranean Sea region, Asia and North America. Description Plants of the genus ''Calligonum'' are shrubs, diffusely but irregularly branched, w ...

'' Maire *''

Calligonum caput-medusae ''Calligonum'' is a genus of plants in the family Polygonaceae with about 80 species across the Mediterranean Sea region, Asia and North America. Description Plants of the genus ''Calligonum'' are shrubs, diffusely but irregularly branched, w ...

'' Schrenk *''

Calligonum crinitum ''Calligonum'' is a genus of plants in the family Polygonaceae with about 80 species across the Mediterranean Sea region, Asia and North America. Description Plants of the genus ''Calligonum'' are shrubs, diffusely but irregularly branched, w ...

'' Boiss. *''

Calligonum crispum ''Calligonum'' is a genus of plants in the family Polygonaceae with about 80 species across the Mediterranean Sea region, Asia and North America. Description Plants of the genus ''Calligonum'' are shrubs, diffusely but irregularly branched, w ...

'' Bunge *''

Calligonum cristatum ''Calligonum'' is a genus of plants in the family Polygonaceae with about 80 species across the Mediterranean Sea region, Asia and North America. Description Plants of the genus ''Calligonum'' are shrubs, diffusely but irregularly branched, w ...

'' Bunge *''

Calligonum ebinuricum ''Calligonum'' is a genus of plants in the family Polygonaceae with about 80 species across the Mediterranean Sea region, Asia and North America. Description Plants of the genus ''Calligonum'' are shrubs, diffusely but irregularly branched, w ...

'' N.A.Ivanova ex Soskov *''

Calligonum eriopodum ''Calligonum'' is a genus of plants in the family Polygonaceae with about 80 species across the Mediterranean Sea region, Asia and North America. Description Plants of the genus ''Calligonum'' are shrubs, diffusely but irregularly branched, w ...

'' Bunge *'' Calligonum junceum'' (Fisch. & C.A.Mey.) Litv. *''

Calligonum klementzii ''Calligonum'' is a genus of plants in the family Polygonaceae with about 80 species across the Mediterranean Sea region, Asia and North America. Description Plants of the genus ''Calligonum'' are shrubs, diffusely but irregularly branched, wi ...

'' Losinsk. *'' Calligonum laristanicum'' Rech.f. & Schiman-Czeika *'' Calligonum leucocladum'' (Schrenk) Bunge *'' Calligonum litwinowii'' Drobow *'' Calligonum macrocarpum'' I.G.Borshch. *'' Calligonum matteianum'' Drobow *'' Calligonum mejidum'' Al-Khayat *'' Calligonum microcarpum'' I.G.Borshch. *''

Calligonum mongolicum ''Calligonum'' is a genus of plants in the family Polygonaceae with about 80 species across the Mediterranean Sea region, Asia and North America. Description Plants of the genus ''Calligonum'' are shrubs, diffusely but irregularly branched, w ...

'' Turcz. *'' Calligonum murex'' Bunge *'' Calligonum polygonoides'' L. *'' Calligonum rubicundum'' Bunge *'' Calligonum santoanum'' Korovin *'' Calligonum schizopterum'' Rech.f. & Schiman-Czeika *'' Calligonum setosum'' (Litv.) Litv. *'' Calligonum spinosetosum'' Maassoumi & Batooli *'' Calligonum taklimakanense'' B.R.Pan & K.M.Shen *'' Calligonum tetrapterum'' Jaub. & Spach *'' Calligonum trifarium'' Z.M.Mao *'' Calligonum triste'' Litv. *'' Calligonum turbineum'' Pavlov

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2988961 Polygonaceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus