''Sherardia'' is a
monotypic genus of
flowering plants in the
family Rubiaceae. The genus contains only one
species, viz. ''Sherardia arvensis'' or (blue) field madder, which is widespread across most of
Europe and northern
Africa as well as southwest and central Asia (from
Turkey to
Saudi Arabia to
Kazakhstan) and
Macaronesia (
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...
,
Azores,
Madeira
)
, anthem = ( en, "Anthem of the Autonomous Region of Madeira")
, song_type = Regional anthem
, image_map=EU-Portugal_with_Madeira_circled.svg
, map_alt=Location of Madeira
, map_caption=Location of Madeira
, subdivision_type=Sovereign st ...
,
Savage Islands).
It is also reportedly naturalized in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
,
New Zealand,
Taiwan,
Kerguelen,
Ethiopia,
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
, southern
Africa,
Mexico,
Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
,
South America,
Bermuda,
Cuba,
Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
and much of
Canada and the
United States (especially the
Pacific States and the lower
Mississippi Valley).
Description
''Sherardia arvensis'' is an
annual plant
An annual plant is a plant that completes its life cycle, from germination to the production of seeds, within one growing season, and then dies. The length of growing seasons and period in which they take place vary according to geographical ...
with trailing and upright stems growing up to 40 cm long, having a square cross-section. The rough pointed bristly leaves of about 1 cm in length are in
whorls
A whorl ( or ) is an individual circle, oval, volution or equivalent in a whorled pattern, which consists of a spiral or multiple concentric objects (including circles, ovals and arcs).
Whorls in nature
File:Photograph and axial plane floral d ...
of four to six (normally six at the ends of the shoots, but four nearer the root).
The tiny pale lilac or pink flowers are approximately 3 mm in diameter and have a long tube, with only the end part of the four petals free. The flowers grow in clusters of two or three together in an
involucral
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, ...
structure formed out of a ring of six
bracts.
The fruit are dry and about 3 mm long with two lobes giving rise to two small, dry, indehiscent fruits called nutlets.
The four-angled stems with whorls of bristly leaves and tiny flowers are reminiscent of the
Bedstraws and other related
Rubiaceae, but ''Sherardia'' is distinguished by its mauve/pink flowers that are organized in clusters and having a long corolla tube.
''Sherardia arvensis'' plants are hermaphroditic and pollinated by flies.
Plants for a Future - Sherardia arvensis
/ref>
Uses
''Sherardia arvensis'' is a common weed of fields, pasture, grassland, and disturbed areas.[ The fleshy roots, though much inferior to the common madder ('']Rubia tinctorum
''Rubia tinctorum'', the rose madder or common madder or dyer's madder, is a herbaceous perennial plant species belonging to the Galium, bedstraw and Coffea, coffee family Rubiaceae.
Description
The common madder can grow up to 1.5 m in height ...
''), are sometimes used for the production of a red dye.
Taxonomy
The genus and species were described by Carl Linnaeus in ''Hortus Cliffortianus
The ''Hortus Cliffortianus'' is a work of early botanical literature published in 1737.
The work was a collaboration between Carl Linnaeus and the illustrator Georg Dionysius Ehret, financed by George Clifford in 1735-1736. Clifford, a wealthy A ...
'' in 1736Species 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 ...
'' in 1753.[ The Latin epithet ''arvensis'' means that it is found in fields.
]
Image gallery
File:Sherardia arvensis Kaldari 01.jpg
File:Sherardia arvensis Kaldari 02.jpg
File:72 Sherardia arvensis.jpg
References
External links
''Sherardia'' in the World Checklist of RubiaceaeUSDA Plants Profile
Wildflowers of the United States, ''Sherardia arvensis'' Calflora taxon report, ''Sherardia arvensis''
* ttp://www.tela-botanica.org/bdtfx-nn-63722-synthese Tela Botanica, ''Sherardia arvensis'' br>News from Rockcliff Farm, Natural Gardens of North Carolina, Blue Field-Madder, ''Sherardia arvensis''
* ttp://www.floravascular.com/index.php?spp=Sherardia%20arvensis Flora Vascular, ''Sherardia arvensis'' br>Wilde Planten in Nederland dn Belgie, Blauw walstro, Blauslyt, Field Madder, Rubéole des champs, Ackerröte, ''Sherardia arvensis''
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q14566705, from2=Q158352
Flora of Europe
Flora of Asia
Flora of Africa
Monotypic Rubiaceae genera
Rubieae
