| Malesherbia solanoides | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Passifloraceae |
| Genus: | Malesherbia |
| Species: | M. solanoides |
| Binomial name | |
| Malesherbia solanoides | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Malesherbia solanoides is a subshrub native to the Atacama region of Chile. [1] It was initially described in 1833 by Reise Erde. [2]
There are currently four accepted varieties of M. solanoides, var. oblongifolia((Phil.) Bull-Hereñu), var. ovata((Phil.) Bull-Hereñu), var. rugosa((Gay) Bull-Hereñu), and var. solanoides. [3]
Variety oblongifolia is found in the Paipote and San Andrés Ravines at altitudes above 1000 m. [4] It has white flowers similar to those of var. ovata, it differs from var. ovata in its oblong hairless leaves and locality. [5] Its white flowers differentiate it from var. rugosa and var. solanoides, both of white have blue flowers. [6]
Var. oblongifolia has previously been classified as Malesherbia oblongifoliaPhil., Malesherbia brevipedunculataWerderm., and Malesherbia foliosaPhil.. [7]
Variety ovata is found in the deserts between Quebrada Encantada and Llano de Varas at altitudes of 1000 - 3000 m. [8] It differs from var. solanoides and var. rugusa as it has white flowers; it differs from oblongifolia as it has yellow dense matted hairs on its vegetative tissues. [5]
Var. ovata has previously been classified as Malesherbia ovataPhil., Malesherbia johnstoniiWerderm., Malesherbia proliferaPhil., and Malesherbia rugosa var. pseudopulverulentaRicardi. [9]
Var. rugosa is only found in the Copiapó river valley in the Atacama region of Chile. Phenotypically, it's extremely similar to var. solanoides, only differing in its relatively rough oily leaves and smaller floral cup. [5] The flowers of var. rugosa are typically light blue with large petals. [10] In addition to these slight phenotypic differences, the varieties differ in range; var. rugosa is only found at altitudes of 1000 - 3000 m, while var. solanoides is found at lower altitudes (500 - 1200 m). [10] [11]
Var. rugosa has previously been classified as Gynopleura rugosa(Gay) Ball, Malesherbia rugosaGay, Malesherbia glanduliferaWerderm, and Malesherbia serrataPhil. [12]
Var. solanoides is only found near the Copiapó river. [11] It is found at altitudes of 500 - 1200 m. [11] It grows up to 80cm tall and has light blue to violet flowers. [11]
The Atacama Region is one of Chile's 16 first order administrative divisions. It comprises three provinces: Chañaral, Copiapó and Huasco. It is bordered to the north by Antofagasta, to the south by Coquimbo, to east with Provinces of Catamarca, La Rioja and San Juan of Argentina, and to the west by the Pacific Ocean. The regional capital Copiapó is located at 806 km (501 mi) north of the country's capital of Santiago. The region occupies the southern portion of the Atacama Desert, the rest of the desert is mainly distributed among the other regions of Norte Grande.
Copiapoa is a genus of flowering plants in the cactus family Cactaceae, from the dry coastal deserts, particularly the Atacama Desert, of northern Chile. It comprises 32 morphologically defined species and 5 heterotypic subspecies. These species vary in form from spherical to slightly columnar and in color from a brownish to blue-green body. They have warty ribs and spiny areoles, and they usually produce tubular yellow flowers which grow from woolly crowns in summer.
Malesherbia is a genus of flowering plants consisting of 25 species in the Passifloraceae. This is a xerophytic group endemic to the Peruvian and Chilean deserts and adjacent Argentina. The genus is currently recognized by the APG III system of classification in the family Passifloraceae, and is the sole member of the subfamily Malesherbioideae.
The Atacama Desert is a desert plateau in South America covering a 1,600 km (990 mi) strip of land on the Pacific coast, west of the Andes Mountains. The Atacama Desert is the driest nonpolar desert in the world, and the second driest overall, just behind some very specific spots within the McMurdo Dry Valleys as well as the only hot true desert to receive less precipitation than the polar deserts, and the largest fog desert in the world. Both regions have been used as experimentation sites on Earth for Mars expedition simulations. The Atacama Desert occupies 105,000 km2 (41,000 sq mi), or 128,000 km2 (49,000 sq mi) if the barren lower slopes of the Andes are included. Most of the desert is composed of stony terrain, salt lakes (salares), sand, and felsic lava that flows towards the Andes.
A desert bloom is a climatic phenomenon that occurs in various deserts around the world. The phenomenon consists of the blossoming of a wide variety of flowers during early-mid spring in years when rainfall is unusually high.
Lomas, also called fog oases and mist oases, are areas of fog-watered vegetation in the coastal desert of Peru and northern Chile. About 100 lomas near the Pacific Ocean are identified between 5°S and 30°S latitude, a north–south distance of about 2,800 kilometres (1,700 mi). Lomas range in size from a small vegetated area to more than 40,000 hectares and their flora includes many endemic species. Apart from river valleys and the lomas the coastal desert is almost without vegetation. Scholars have described individual lomas as "an island of vegetation in a virtual ocean of desert."
Reyesia is a small genus of four species of flowering plants belonging to the subfamily Cestroideae of the nightshade family Solanaceae. It is closely related to the genus Salpiglossis, which provides the ornamental species Salpiglossis sinuata. Together, the genera Reyesia and Salpiglossis form the tribe Salpiglossideae within the Cestroideae. Historically, the species now placed in Reyesia have been held by some authors to belong to Salpiglossis, but are currently placed in a genus of their own by virtue of their tiny flowers and peculiar androecium.
Malesherbia bracteata is a perennial herb in Malesherbia (Passifloraceae). M. bracteata var. bracteata found in the deserts of the Andes and Coquimbo, while M. bracteata var. campanulata is only found around Embalse La Laguna. Malesherbia bracteata can grow up to 18mm and has white flowers. Variety campanulata differs from variety bracteata in terms of leaf shape, floral cup, and stipules.
Malesherbia corallina, a member of Malesherbia (Passifloraceae), is a subshrub native to the deserts and dry shrubland of Tarapacá Chile. It was originally identified in 2003 by Mélica Muñoz-Schick and Pinto, and is considered very rare with less than 20 plants documented.
Malesherbia densiflora is a perennial herb native to the Andean foothills in Atacama Chile. M. densiflora can grow up to 40 cm tall and has white racemose flowers.
Malesherbia deserticola is a subshrub native to the deserts and dry shrublands of Antofagasta and Atacama Chile. It can reach heights of 40 cm and has white racemose flowers.
Malesherbia fasciculata is a subshrub that is native to the subtropics of Northern and Central Chile. The flowers of M. fasciculata are white with red sepals, dark purple anthers, and are globular in shape.
Malesherbia fatimae is a shrub native to Chuquibamba, Peru. It phenotypically differs greatly from other Peruvian members of Malesherbia in terms of leaves and branch formation and density. It flowers all year long and has dense racemes red flowers.
Malesherbia haemantha is a shrub native to the desert and dry shrubland of Peru.
Malesherbia humilis is a annual herb that grows in the subtropics of northern and central Chile to Argentina.
Malesherbia lactea is a perennial geophyte native to the La Rioja and San Juan regions of Argentina and the Antofagasta and Atacama regions of Chile. It has ovate leaves that end in a sharp point. Similar to other members of Malesherbia, the flowers are red and white, and tubular in shape.
Malesherbia linearifolia is a subshrub native to the Coquimbo, Valparaiso, Metropolitana, and O'Higgins regions of Chile. It was the first member of Malesherbia to be described, with the original description dating to 1797 by Cavanilles.
Malesherbia lirana is a perennial herb whose native range is from Argentina and Chile. The species has racemose inflorescences that are 2 - 3.9 cm in size and cream colored petals. It flowers in spring to late summer.
Malesherbia paniculata is perennial subshrub native to the Atacama, Coquimbo, Valparaíso, Metropolitana, and O'Higgins regions of Chile. It can be found at elevations of up to 2600m to sea level. It was originally described in 1827 by D. Don.
Malesherbia scarlatiflora is a shrub native to the pacific slopes of Peru. It grows up to 1 meter tall, has narrow ovate-acuminate leaves, and orange flowers.