Grahamia
Grahamia bracteata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Anacampserotaceae
Genus: Grahamia
Gillies, 1833 ex Hook. & Arn.
Species[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Talinopsis A. Gray, 1852
  • Talinaria Brandegee, 1906
  • Xenia Gerbaulet, 1992

Grahamia is a genus of succulent plants in the family Anacampserotaceae which contains six species which show a disjunct distribution, three species being found in northern Argentina, two in Mexico and one in Australia.

Distribution and taxonomy

Three species Grahamia bracteata, Grahamia kurtzii and Grahamia vulcanensis are found in northern Argentina, while Grahamia coahuilensis occurs in central Mexico and Grahamia frutescens is found in northern Mexico. Grahamia australiana is endemic to Australia. The genus Grahamia is divided into two subgenera, subgenus Grahamia contains G. bracteata and G, fructesecens which are low, scrambling small shrubs with stiff branches and cylindrical, rather smooth leaves; while Grahamia subgenus Talinaria are succulent, long-lived herbs with distinct succulent leaves on weak fleshy branches with the leaves aggregated near the branch tips.[3] G. australiana was previously considered to be a member of the genus Anacampseros and the remaining species were placed in four monotypic genera, except for G. vulcanensis which was not considered. It is now thought that all six species are best considered in a single genus as proposed by G. D. Rowley.[3] Other authorities, however, placed G. vulcanensis in Anacampseros.[2]

Brief description

The species of Grahamia vary from partially deciduous small shrubs with succulent leaves to perennial succulent herbs, but they all have a single tuberous tap root. The leaves are glabrous, except for the axils, and may be flat or cylindrical in shape. The inflorescences are grouped in 3-6 scapes or in loose terminal cymes.[2]

Naming

The genus was described by John Miers and later by John Gillies after their excursions to mountains of San Luis and Mendoza in western Argentina.[4] The generic name Grahamia probably honours the Chile-based Scottish traveler and plant collector Maria Graham;[5][4] some sources assign it to Scottish botanist Robert Graham (1786–1845),[2] who was Maria's brother-in-law and associate.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "Grahamia ". The Plant List. ThePlantList.org. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Urs Eggli, ed. (2002). Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Dicotyledons. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 386–387. ISBN 978-3540419662.
  3. 1 2 Reto Nyfeller (2007). "The Closest Relatives of Cacti: Insights from Phylogenetic Analyses of Chloroplats and Mitochondrial Sequences with Special Emphasis on Relationships in the Tribe Anacampseroteae". American Journal of Botany. 94 (1): 89–101. doi:10.3732/ajb.94.1.89. PMID 21642211.
  4. 1 2 Claudio Gay (1846). Historia fisica y politica de Chile segun documentos adquiridos en esta republica durante doce años de residencia en ella y publicada bajo los auspicios del supremo gobierno. En casa del autor. p. 475.
  5. ↑ Mari Mut, Jose A. "Plant genera named after people (1753-1853)" (PDF). p. 235.
  6. ↑ "Graham, Robert (1786-1845)". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help).
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