Cerinthe

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Cerinthe
Cerinthe major (flower).jpg
Flowers of Cerinthe major
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Boraginales
Family: Boraginaceae
Subfamily: Boraginoideae
Genus: Cerinthe
L.
Type species
Cerinthe major
L.

Cerinthe is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae, [1] known as honeyworts. The genus is characterised by a calyx made up of separate, rather than fused, sepals, a tubular corolla, and the schizocarpic fruit that divides into two parts at maturity, unlike most members of the family, where the fruit splits into four nutlets. [1] The genus has a circum-Mediterranean distribution, ranging from the Irano-Turanian Region in the east to Morocco in the west. [1]

Contents

Cerinthe has been known since ancient times. An early reference to it is in John Gerard's The Herbal, published in 1597, describing its appearance, growth habits, time of blooming and mentions that "there is a taste as if it were of new wax in the floures [sic] or leaves chewed, as the name doth seeme [sic] to import." Gerard gives a list of other names for Cerinthe applied by prior writers, including Avicenna "Auicen", Pliny the Elder, Conrad Gessner, Rembert Dodoens, Carolus Clusius, and Matthias de l'Obel. [2]

Etymology

The genus name is a compound of the Greek elements κερί / κηρός (= keri / kēros or keeros) "(bees)wax" and άνθος (=anthos) "flower" - whence "wax flower" - from the belief that bees extracted wax from the blossoms to make their honeycombs. [3]

Species

The following species are accepted by The Plant List : [4]

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<i>Cerinthe major</i> Species of plant in the genus Cerinthe

Cerinthe major, called honeywort along with other members of its genus, is an annual species of flowering plant in the genus Cerinthe, native to the Mediterranean region, and introduced to New Zealand. Gardeners have a choice along a spectrum of cultivars ranging from Cerinthe major subsp. major, with sea-green bracts and yellow flowers, to Cerinthe major subsp. purpurascens with blue bracts and purple flowers.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Federico Selvi; Lorenzo Cecchi & Andrea Coppi (2009). "Phylogeny, karyotype evolution and taxonomy of Cerinthe L. (Boraginaceae)". Taxon . 58 (4): 1307–1325. doi:10.1002/tax.584019. JSTOR   27757019.
  2. John Gerard (16 September 2015). The Herbal Or General History of Plants: The Complete 1633 Edition as Revised and Enlarged by Thomas Johnson. Courier Dover Publications. pp. 538–. ISBN   978-1-60660-080-1.
  3. https://www.greekflora.gr/el/flowers/1204/Cerinthe-major Retrieved 10.33am on 10/6/19.
  4. "Cerinthe". The Plant List . Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  5. "Blue shrimp plant Cerinthe major 'Purpurascens'". The Plant Guide. Fine Gardening. Retrieved 5 June 2018.