''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. They are found mainly in

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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

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. Some are grown as ornamental plants and will flourish in most Mediterranean or temperate regions. The genus is named for Johann Wigand (c. 1523–1587), German Lutheran cleric and theologian, and Bishop of Pomesania. 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 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 caracasana'', the Caracus wigandia, is a species of ornamental plant. It is an evergreen that grows to a height of up to 3 metres (10 ft). It has purple flowers in large clusters from spring to autumn. Some sources treat it as a ...

'' *''

Wigandia crispa ''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 ...

'' *''

Wigandia darii ''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 ...

'' *''

Wigandia disparaginoides ''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 ...

'' *''

Wigandia ecuadorensis ''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 ...

'' 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'' 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 ...

'' *'' Wigandia herbacea'' *''

Wigandia imperialis ''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 ...

'' *'' Wigandia kraussii'' *'' Wigandia kunthii'' *'' Wigandia lasiocarpa'' *'' Wigandia laxifolia'' *'' Wigandia leucocephala'' *'' Wigandia macrophylla'' *''

Wigandia peruviana ''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 ...

'' *'' Wigandia pruritiva'' *'' Wigandia reflexa'' *'' 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