''Wigandia'' is a genus 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 within the waterleaf subfamily,

Hydrophylloideae Hydrophylloideae is a subfamily of the plant family Boraginaceae. Their taxonomic position is somewhat uncertain. Traditionally, and under the Cronquist system, they were given family rank under the name Hydrophyllaceae, and treated as part of th ...

. They are found mainly in

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

, though one or two species are found as far north as the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Some are grown as ornamental plants and will flourish in most Mediterranean or temperate regions. The genus is named for

Johann Wigand Johann Wigand (Latin: Jo(h)annes Wigandus; c. 1523 – 21 October 1587) was a German Lutheran cleric, Protestant reformer and theologian. He served as Bishop of Pomesania. Johann Wigand was born at Mansfeld in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. He was ra ...

(c. 1523–1587), German Lutheran cleric and theologian, and Bishop of

Pomesania Pomesanians were a Prussian clan. They lived in Pomesania ( pl, Pomezania; lt, Pamedė; german: Pomesanien), a historical region in modern northern Poland, located between the Nogat and Vistula Rivers to the west and the Elbląg River to the e ...

. Within the Hydrophylloideae, ''Wigandia'' species are unusual in having minute seeds and a high base

chromosome A chromosome is a long DNA molecule with part or all of the genetic material of an organism. In most chromosomes the very long thin DNA fibers are coated with packaging proteins; in eukaryotic cells the most important of these proteins are ...

number (19); it is also the only

neotropical The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone. Definition In bioge ...

genus in the subfamily. Some species originally classified in ''Wigandia'' are now treated in other genera, e.g. ''

Eriodictyon ''Eriodictyon'' is a genus of plants known by the common name yerba santa within the Hydrophylloideae subfamily of the borage family, Boraginaceae. They are distributed throughout the southwestern United States and Mexico. Description Most spe ...

''. There is a group of closely related genera within the Hydrophylloideae subfamily, and it is likely that further taxonomic work will result in additional reclassifications. A recent

molecular phylogenetic 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 ...

analysis of the Hydrophylloideae included two ''Wigandia'' species (''W. caracasana'' and ''W. urens''), and confirmed that they lay within a

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

that includes ''Eriodictyon'', and also the genera '' Nama'' and '' Turricula''. The genus as currently recognized comprises over 20 species, including the following: *'' Wigandia brevistyla'' Cornejo *'' Wigandia caracasana'' *'' Wigandia crispa'' *'' Wigandia darii'' *'' Wigandia disparaginoides'' *'' Wigandia ecuadorensis'' CornejoCornejo, X. (2006). ''Wigandia ecuadorensis'' (Hydrophyllaceae), a new species of the tropical dry forests on the west coast of Ecuador. ''Novon, 16'', 324-327. *'' Wigandia ericodes'' *'' Wigandia herbacea'' *'' Wigandia imperialis'' *'' Wigandia kraussii'' *'' Wigandia kunthii'' *'' Wigandia lasiocarpa'' *''

Wigandia laxifolia ''Wigandia'' is a genus of flowering plants within the waterleaf subfamily, Hydrophylloideae. They are found mainly in Central America and South America, though one or two species are found as far north as the United States. Some are grown as o ...

'' *''

Wigandia leucocephala ''Wigandia'' is a genus of flowering plants within the waterleaf subfamily, Hydrophylloideae. They are found mainly in Central America and South America, though one or two species are found as far north as the United States. Some are grown as o ...

'' *''

Wigandia macrophylla ''Wigandia'' is a genus of flowering plants within the waterleaf subfamily, Hydrophylloideae. They are found mainly in Central America and South America, though one or two species are found as far north as the United States. Some are grown as o ...

'' *'' Wigandia peruviana'' *''

Wigandia pruritiva ''Wigandia'' is a genus of flowering plants within the waterleaf subfamily, Hydrophylloideae. They are found mainly in Central America and South America, though one or two species are found as far north as the United States. Some are grown as o ...

'' *''

Wigandia reflexa ''Wigandia'' is a genus of flowering plants within the waterleaf subfamily, Hydrophylloideae. They are found mainly in Central America and South America, though one or two species are found as far north as the United States. Some are grown as o ...

'' *'' Wigandia scorpioides'' *'' Wigandia seriphiodes'' *'' Wigandia urens'' *'' Wigandia vigieri'' *'' Wigandia wurdackiana'' Species formerly classified within ''Wigandia'' include: *''

Eriodictyon californicum ''Eriodictyon californicum'' is a species of plant within the family Boraginaceae. It is also known as yerba santa (sacred herb), mountain balm, bear's weed, gum bush, gum plant, and consumptive weed.Patricia Kaminski and Richard Katz.Yerba Santa ...

'' (formerly ''W. californica'')

References

* Hydrophylloideae Boraginaceae genera {{Asterid-stub