''Heliophila'' 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
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
s in the family
Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae () or (the older) Cruciferae () is a medium-sized and economically important family of flowering plants commonly known as the mustards, the crucifers, or the cabbage family. Most are herbaceous plants, while some are shrubs. The le ...
. Members of this genus are either
annuals or perennials and some are popular as
ornamental plant
Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...
s. Endemic to southern Africa, the majority of the approximately 80 species grow in South Africa, particularly the
Cape Floristic Region, while a few extend into the
Namib Desert
The Namib ( ; pt, Namibe) is a coastal desert in Southern Africa. The name is of Khoekhoegowab origin and means "vast place". According to the broadest definition, the Namib stretches for more than along the Atlantic coasts of Angola, Namib ...
.
Taxonomic history
The first recognised published description of ''Heliophila'' appears in the second edition of ''
Species Plantarum
' (Latin for "The Species of Plants") is a book by Carl Linnaeus, originally published in 1753, which lists every species of plant known at the time, classified into genera. It is the first work to consistently apply binomial names and was the ...
'' by
Carl Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...
, printed in 1763. He attributes his description, however, to
Nicolaas Laurens Burman
Nicolaas Laurens Burman (27 December 1734 – 11 September 1793) was a Dutch botanist.
He was the son of Johannes Burman (1707–1780). He succeeded his father to the chair of botany at the Athenaeum Illustre of Amsterdam., and at the Hortus Bot ...
, a Dutch botanist.
The
generic name ''Heliophila'' is Latin but originally derived from the
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...
words ''hēlios'' (ἥλιος), meaning "sun", and ''phílos'' (φίλος), meaning "dear" or "beloved", and refers to the blooms opening in sun and closing at night or in overcast conditions, a habit of many of the species within the genus.
In general, contention abounds regarding phylogenetic relationships in the family Brassicaceae. In the past, using morphological characters to establish tribes and genera was misleading and created dissension among
systematist
Biological systematics is the study of the diversification of living forms, both past and present, and the relationships among living things through time. Relationships are visualized as evolutionary trees (synonyms: cladograms, phylogenetic tre ...
s. The classification of species within Brassicaceae is gradually resolving through
molecular phylogeny
Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...
investigation, using
internal transcribed spacer
Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) is the spacer DNA situated between the small-subunit ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and large-subunit rRNA genes in the chromosome or the corresponding transcribed region in the polycistronic rRNA precursor transcript.
I ...
(ITS) data and other new-found sequencing knowledge.
Previously there were six genera within the tribe Heliophileae, all endemic to southern Africa: ''Heliophila'', ''Cycloptychis'', ''Schlechteri'', ''Silicularia'', ''Thlaspeocarpa'', and ''Brachycarpaea''. The latter five genera contained among them only seven species, having been differentiated from the genus ''Heliophila'' mainly on morphological differences in the fruits they bore. Following extensive analysis of molecular evidence (nuclear (ITS) and plastid (trnL-F) DNA sequence data), Heliophileae was found to be monophyletic and the five small genera were reduced to synonymy with ''Heliophila''.
Distribution
''Heliophila'' is one of only two genera of Brassicaceae endemic to southern Africa. The majority of the species grow in the winter-rainfall Cape Floristic Region and the more arid
Namaqualand
Namaqualand (khoekhoe: "Nama-kwa" meaning Nama Khoe people's land) is an arid region of Namibia and South Africa, extending along the west coast over and covering a total area of . It is divided by the lower course of the Orange River into ...
, while a smaller portion extend to the rest of South Africa, Namibia, Swaziland, and Lesotho. None of the members of this genus are listed on the
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biologi ...
.
Description and habit
''Heliophila'' is regarded as one of the most diverse genera in the family Brassicaceae. Flower size, for example, varies greatly, with this genus containing both the largest of petals within the family (''H. juncea'') to the smallest (''H. pectinata''). There is a range of flower colour, with blue, white, and pink being the most common. Blue is an unusual colour for Brassicaceae, being known in only one other genus, the unrelated ''
Solms-laubachia
''Solms-laubachia'' is a high-altitude genus of perennial herbs in the family Brassicaceae. It is named for the German botanist Hermann zu Solms-Laubach.
Taxonomy
In 2008, Yue ''et al.'' expanded ''Solms-laubachia'', using molecular phylogenetic ...
'' from the
Himalayas
The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...
.
Within the genus are mainly
herb
In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...
s and
subshrub
A subshrub (Latin ''suffrutex'') or dwarf shrub is a short shrub, and is a woody plant. Prostrate shrub is a related term. "Subshrub" is often used interchangeably with "bush".Jackson, Benjamin, Daydon; A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Der ...
s, although
shrub
A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
s and
liana
A liana is a long- stemmed, woody vine that is rooted in the soil at ground level and uses trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy in search of direct sunlight. The word ''liana'' does not refer to a ta ...
s appear as well. They may be annual or perennial and the majority of the fruits produced by species in this genus are
dehiscent
Dehiscence is the splitting of a mature plant structure along a built-in line of weakness to release its contents. This is common among fruits, anthers and sporangia. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part; structures that op ...
, not woody, and lack a
carpophore. The plants are generally either
glabrous
Glabrousness (from the Latin ''glaber'' meaning "bald", "hairless", "shaved", "smooth") is the technical term for a lack of hair, down, setae, trichomes or other such covering. A glabrous surface may be a natural characteristic of all or part of ...
or possess simple hairs. Leaves are variable; they are narrow or broad, but usually simple, and may be entire, lobed, or
pinnatipartite. The
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 are usually the
raceme
A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...
type.
Species
Accepted species:
* ''
Heliophila acuminata''
( Eckl. & Zeyh.
Karl Ludwig Philipp Zeyher (2 August 1799 Dillenburg, Hessen, Germany – 13 December 1858 Cape Town), was a botanical and insect collector who collected extensively in South Africa. He was the author, with Christian Friedrich Ecklon, of ''Enumera ...
) Steud, 1840
* ''
Heliophila adpressa''
O.E. Schulz
* ''
Heliophila affinis''
Sond.
Otto Wilhelm Sonder (18 June 1812, Bad Oldesloe – 21 November 1881) was a German botanist and pharmacist.
Life
A native of Holstein, Sonder studied at Kiel University, where he sat pharmaceutical examinations in 1835, before becoming the prop ...
, 1846
* ''
Heliophila africana''
( L.) Marais, 1970
* ''
Heliophila alpina''
Marais
* ''
Heliophila amplexicaulis''
L.f., 1782
* ''
Heliophila arenaria''
Sond.
* ''
Heliophila arenosa''
Schltr.
Friedrich Richard Rudolf Schlechter (16 October 1872 – 16 November 1925) was a German taxonomist, botanist, and author of several works on orchids.
He went on botanical expeditions in Africa, Indonesia, New Guinea, South and Central America a ...
, 1899
* ''
Heliophila brachycarpa''
Meisn.
Carl Daniel Friedrich Meissner (1 November 1800 – 2 May 1874) was a Swiss botanist.
Biography
Born in Bern, Switzerland on 1 November 1800, he was christened Meisner but later changed the spelling of his name to Meissner. For most of his 40 ...
, 1842
* ''
Heliophila brassicaefolia''
Eckl. & Zeyh.
* ''
Heliophila brassicifolia''
Eckl. & Zeyh.
* ''
Heliophila bulbostyla''
Barnes
* ''
Heliophila callosa''
(L.f.) DC.
Augustin Pyramus (or Pyrame) de Candolle (, , ; 4 February 17789 September 1841) was a Swiss botanist. René Louiche Desfontaines launched de Candolle's botanical career by recommending him at a herbarium. Within a couple of years de Candolle ...
, 1821
* ''
Heliophila carnosa''
(Thunb.
Carl Peter Thunberg, also known as Karl Peter von Thunberg, Carl Pehr Thunberg, or Carl Per Thunberg (11 November 1743 – 8 August 1828), was a Sweden, Swedish Natural history, naturalist and an Apostles of Linnaeus, "apostle" of Carl Linnaeus ...
) Steud., 1840
* ''
Heliophila cedarbergensis''
Marais
* ''
Heliophila cinerea''
Marais, 1970
* ''
Heliophila collina''
O.E. Schulz
* ''
Heliophila concatenata''
Sond., 1846
* ''
Heliophila cornellsbergia''
B.J. Pienaar & Nicholas
* ''
Heliophila cornuta''
Sond., 1846
* ''
Heliophila carnosa''
(Thunb.) Steud., 1840
* ''
Heliophila coronopifolia''
L.
* ''
Heliophila crithmifolia''
Willd.
Carl Ludwig Willdenow (22 August 1765 – 10 July 1812) was a German botanist, pharmacist, and plant taxonomist. He is considered one of the founders of phytogeography, the study of the geographic distribution of plants. Willdenow was also ...
, 1809
* ''
Heliophila cuneata''
Marais
* ''
Heliophila decurva''
Schltr., 1913
* ''
Heliophila deserticola''
Schltr., 1913
* ''
Heliophila diffusa''
(Thunb.) DC.
* ''
Heliophila digitata''
L.f., 1782
* ''
Heliophila dissecta''
Thunb.
* ''
Heliophila dregeana''
Sond., 1846
* ''
Heliophila elata''
Sond.
* ''
Heliophila elongata''
DC.
* ''
Heliophila ephemera''
P.A.Bean
* ''
Heliophila esterhuyseniae''
Marais
* ''
Heliophila eximia''
Marais
* ''
Heliophila filicaulis''
Marais
* ''
Heliophila formosa''
Hilliard & B.L.Burtt
* ''
Heliophila gariepina''
Schltr.
* ''
Heliophila glauca''
Burch. ex DC.
* ''
Heliophila hurkana''
Al-Shehbaz & Mumm.
* ''
Heliophila juncea''
(P.J.Bergius) Druce
* ''
Heliophila katbergensis''
Marais
* ''
Heliophila laciniata''
Marais
* ''
Heliophila lactea''
Schltr.
* ''
Heliophila leptophylla''
Schltr.
* ''
Heliophila linearis''
DC.
* ''
Heliophila linoides''
Schltr.
* ''
Heliophila macowaniana''
Schltr.
* ''
Heliophila macra''
Schltr.
* ''
Heliophila macrosperma''
Burch. ex DC.
* ''
Heliophila maraisiana''
Al-Shehbaz & Mumm.
* ''
Heliophila meyeri''
Sond.
* ''
Heliophila minima''
(Stephens) Marais
* ''
Heliophila monosperma''
Al-Shehbaz & Mumm.
* ''
Heliophila namaquana''
Bolus
* ''
Heliophila namaquensis''
(Marais) Al-Shehbaz & Mumm.
* ''
Heliophila nubigena''
Schltr.
* ''
Heliophila obibensis''
Marais
* ''
Heliophila patens''
Oliv.
* ''
Heliophila pectinata''
Burch. ex DC.
* ''
Heliophila pendula''
Willd.
* ''
Heliophila pinnata''
L.f.
* ''
Heliophila polygaloides''
Schltr.
* ''
Heliophila promontorii''
Marais
* ''
Heliophila pubescens''
Burch. ex Sond.
* ''
Heliophila pusilla''
L.f.
* ''
Heliophila ramosissima''
O.E.Schulz
* ''
Heliophila refracta''
Sond.
* ''
Heliophila remotiflora''
O.E.Schulz
* ''
Heliophila rigidiuscula''
Sond.
* ''
Heliophila rimicola''
Marais
* ''
Heliophila scandens''
Harv.
* ''
Heliophila schulzii''
Marais
* ''
Heliophila scoparia''
Burch. ex DC.
* ''
Heliophila seselifolia''
Burch. ex DC.
* ''
Heliophila suavissima''
Burch. ex DC.
* ''
Heliophila suborbicularis''
Al-Shehbaz & Mumm.
* ''
Heliophila subulata''
Burch. ex DC.
* ''
Heliophila tabularis''
Dod
* ''
Heliophila thunbergii''
Steud.
* ''
Heliophila tricuspidata''
Schltr.
* ''
Heliophila trifurca''
Burch. ex DC.
* ''
Heliophila tulbaghensis''
Schinz
* ''
Heliophila variabilis''
Burch. ex DC.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q955407
Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae genera