Parochetus

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Parochetus communis
Parochetus communis NZ.jpg
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Eudicots
(unranked):
Rosids
Order:
Fabales
Family:
Fabaceae
Tribe:
Trifolieae
Subtribe:
Parochetinae

Chaudhary & Sanjappa
Genus:
Parochetus

Species:
P. communis
Binomial name
Parochetus communis
Synonyms [3] [4] [5]
  • CosmiusaAlef.
  • Cosmiusa repensAlef.
  • Parochetus africanaPolh.
  • Parochetus majorD.Don
  • Parochetus maculataR. Br.
  • Parochetus oxalidifoliaRoyle

Parochetus communis, known in English as shamrock pea or blue oxalis, [1] is a species of legume, and the only species in the genus Parochetus and in the subtribe Parochetinae. [6] It is a low-growing plant with blue papilionaceous flowers and clover-like leaves. It is found in the mountains of Asia and tropical Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand.

Contents

Description

Parochetus communis is a prostrate herb, growing up to 10–20 centimetres (3.9–7.9 in) tall. [2] Its leaves are trifoliate (three-parted, like a clover leaf), with each leaflet being 8–20 mm (0.3–0.8 in) long and similarly wide (exceptionally up to 40 mm or 1.6 in). [2] [7] The leaflets are cuneate (wedge-shaped) at the base, and notched at the tip, with margins that may be smooth or have minute teeth. [2] [7] The stipules at the base of each leaf-stalk are 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long and entire (untoothed and undivided). [2]

The flowers of P. communis are borne singly or in clusters of up to three flowers on stalks that are typically 8–15 cm (3.1–5.9 in) long, but can be 1.5–25 cm (0.6–9.8 in) long. [2] [7] The flowers are generally blue, but occasionally white or purple; the standard (the large upper petal) is 12–20 mm (0.5–0.8 in) long, notched at the tip, and narrowed at the base. [2] [7] The wings (lateral petals) are around 13 mm (0.5 in) long, and the keel is 20–25 mm (0.8–1.0 in) long and 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide. [2]

The seeds of P. communis form inside pods; each pod is 15–25 mm (0.6–1.0 in) long and 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) wide and contains 8–12 seeds, with each seed being around 2 mm (0.08 in) long and slightly kidney-shaped, somewhat narrower than long. [2] [7]

Distribution, ecology and conservation

Parochetus communis is native to the Himalaya and other Asian mountain systems as far south as Java, and also the Afrotropical mountains. [8] In Africa, it is found in Burundi, central Ethiopia, eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and western parts of Uganda, and grows in damp, shady places on the forest floor or along the banks of streams and rivers at altitudes of 1,500–2,000 metres (4,900–6,600 ft). [7] In China, it grows at altitudes of 1,800–3,000 m (5,900–9,800 ft). [2] Parochetus communis has been introduced to New Zealand, where it was first recorded in 1944. [9]

Because of its wide distribution and the absence of any threats to the species, Parochetus communis is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. [1]

Taxonomic history

The genus Parochetus was established by David Don (based on unpublished manuscripts by Francis Hamilton) in Hamilton's Prodromus Floræ Nepalensis ("Introduction to the Flora of Nepal") of 1825 [10] for the two species P. communis and P. major, which were separated on the basis of their leaf margins. [4] In 1835, John Forbes Royle described a third species, P. oxalidifolia, again based on leaf margin differences. It was later realised that intergradations between all three leaf forms were seen, and so the three taxa were merged into a single species. [4] In 1871, Parochetus was collected from Africa for the first time, as part of David Livingstone's Zambezi Expedition, from Mount Chiradzulu in southern Malawi. [11] A new species, Parochetus africanus, was erected for specimens from Africa in 1991 by Roger Marcus Polhill, but this was reduced to a subspecies of P. communis in 1998 because of a perceived lack of differentiating characters. [4]

Parochetus is traditionally classified in the tribe Trifolieae of the family Leguminosae (Fabaceae), although its inclusion in that tribe has also been considered doubtful. [12] Because Parochetus could not be comfortably accommodated in either of the existing subtribes of the Trifolieae, a new subtribe, Parochetinae, was erected in 1998 to accommodate Parochetus alone. [13]

Horticulture

Parochetus has been grown in Europe since the early 19th century, [11] but is considered "tender" in the United Kingdom, and will only survive outdoors in warm and sheltered areas. [14] Plants from Asian stock may be hardier than those from Africa. [11]

Related Research Articles

Mimosoideae Subfamily of legumes

The Mimosoideae are a clade of trees, herbs, lianas, and shrubs in the pea family (Fabaceae) that mostly grow in tropical and subtropical climates. They are typically characterized by having radially symmetric flowers, with petals that are twice divided (valvate) in bud and with numerous showy, prominent stamens. The clade comprises about 40 genera and 2,500 species.

Fabaceae Family of legume flowering plants

The Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, are a large and economically important family of flowering plants. It includes trees, shrubs, and perennial or annual herbaceous plants, which are easily recognized by their fruit (legume) and their compound, stipulate leaves. Many legumes have characteristic flowers and fruits. The family is widely distributed, and is the third-largest land plant family in number of species, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with about 765 genera and nearly 20,000 known species.

Faboideae Subfamily of plants

The Faboideae are a subfamily of the flowering plant family Fabaceae or Leguminosae. An acceptable alternative name for the subfamily is Papilionoideae, or Papilionaceae when this group of plants is treated as a family.

<i>Camoensia</i> (plant) Genus of legumes

Camoensia is a genus of 2 species of lianas in the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae, native to the Gulf of Guinea, Africa. C. scandens is cultivated as an ornamental plant; it has one of the largest leguminous flowers, up to 20 cm across. The genus has classically been assigned to the tribe Sophoreae, but was recently assigned to its own monophyletic tribe, Camoensieae, on the basis of molecular phylogenetic evidence. Species of Camoensia are known to produce quinolizidine alkaloids, consistent with their placement in the genistoid clade.

Galegeae Tribe of leguminous plants

Galegeae is a tribe in the flowering plant family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. The tribe is found mostly in the northern hemisphere, but can also be found in Australia, Africa, and South America. Recent molecular phylogenetic work has determined that tribe Galegeae is paraphyletic, and that its members are scattered throughout the IR-lacking clade.

Medicago arborea Species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae

Medicago arborea is a flowering plant species in the pea and bean family Fabaceae. Common names include moon trefoil, shrub medick, alfalfa arborea, and tree medick. It is found throughout Europe and especially in the Mediterranean basin, primarily on rocky shores among shrubby vegetation. It forms a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti, which is capable of nitrogen fixation. It is the only member of the genus Medicago which is used as an ornamental. M. arborea is sometimes misidentified as Cytisus, which it resembles.

General remarks, geographical and systematical, on the botany of Terra Australis is an 1814 paper written by Robert Brown on the botany of Australia. It is significant as an early treatment of the biogeography and floristics of the flora of Australia; for its contributions to plant systematics, including the erection of eleven currently accepted families; and for its presentation of a number of important observations on flower morphology.

<i>Barbieria</i> Genus of legumes

Barbieria is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae.

<i>Cyathostegia</i> Genus of legumes

Cyathostegia is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It belongs to the subfamily Faboideae. It is often considered to be a monotypic genus containing only Cyathostegia mathewsii. Some sources include Cyathostegia weberbaueri.

<i>Luetzelburgia</i> Genus of legumes

Luetzelburgia is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It belongs to the subfamily Faboideae. It was traditionally assigned to the tribe Sophoreae, mainly on the basis of flower morphology; recent molecular phylogenetic analyses assigned Luetzelburgia into an informal, monophyletic clade called the "vataireoids". Keys for the different species of Luetzelburgia have been published.

Sophoreae Tribe of legumes

The tribe Sophoreae is one of the subdivisions of the plant family Fabaceae. Traditionally this tribe has been used as a wastebasket taxon to accommodate genera of Faboideae which exhibit actinomorphic, rather than zygomorphic floral symmetry and/or incompletely differentiated petals and free stamens. Various morphological and molecular analyses indicated that Sophoreae as traditionally circumscribed was polyphyletic. This led to a re-circumscription of Sophoreae, which resulted in the transfer of many genera to other tribes. This also necessitated the inclusion of two former tribes, Euchresteae and Thermopsideae, in the new definition of Sophoreae. Tribe Sophoreae, as currently circumscribed, consistently forms a monophyletic clade in molecular phylogenetic analyses. The Sophoreae arose 40.8 ± 2.4 million years ago.

Exostyleae Clade of legumes

The tribe Exostyleae is an early-branching monophyletic clade of the flowering plant subfamily Faboideae that are mostly found in Neotropical rainforests.

The Andira clade is a predominantly Neotropical, monophyletic clade of the flowering plant subfamily Faboideae. The members of this clade were formerly included in tribe Dalbergieae, but this placement was questioned due to differences in wood anatomy and fruit, seed, seedling, floral, and vegetative characters. Recent molecular phylogenetic evidence has shown that they belong to a unique evolutionary lineage. It is predicted to have diverged from the other legume lineages in the late Eocene).

Genistoids Clade of legumes

The Genistoids are one of the major radiations in the plant family Fabaceae. Members of this phylogenetic clade are primarily found in the Southern hemisphere. Some genera are pollinated by birds. The genistoid clade is consistently resolved as monophyletic in molecular phylogenetic analyses. It is estimated to have arisen 56.4 ± 0.2 million years ago. A node-based definition for the genistoids is: "the MRCA of Poecilanthe parviflora and Lupinus argenteus." One morphological synapomorphy has been tentatively identified: production of quinolizidine alkaloids. Some genera also accumulate pyrrolizidine. A new genus, to be segregated from Clathrotropis, has also been proposed to occupy an undetermined position within the genistoid clade.

Abrus kaokoensis is a plant in the legume family Fabaceae, native to Namibia. The species is named for the country's Kaokoveld Desert.

Adenodolichos kaessneri is a plant in the legume family Fabaceae, native to central Africa.

Adenodolichos acutifoliolatus is a plant in the legume family Fabaceae, native to Tanzania.

Adenodolichos paniculatus is a plant in the legume family Fabaceae, native to tropical Africa. The specific epithet means "with panicles", referring to the plant's many-branched inflorescence.

Adenodolichos punctatus is a plant in the legume family Fabaceae, native to tropical Africa.

Adenodolichos rupestris is a plant in the legume family Fabaceae, native to tropical Africa. The specific epithet means "found near rocks", referring to where the species was initially encountered.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Mani, S. (2011). "Parochetus communis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2011: e.T176913A7330107. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-1.RLTS.T176913A7330107.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Shugang Li; Langran Xu; Dezhao Chen; Xiangyun Zhu; Puhua Huang; Zhi Wei; Ren Sa; Prof. Dianxiang Zhang; Bojian Bao; Delin Wu; Hang Sun; Xinfen Gao; Supee S. Larsen; Ivan Nielsen; Dieter Podlech; Yingxin Liu; Hiroyoshi Ohashi; Zhaoyang Chang; Kai Larsen; Jianqiang Li; Stanley L. Welsh; Michael A. Vincent; Mingli Zhang; Michael G. Gilbert; Les Pedley; Brian D. Schrire; Gennady P. Yakovlev; Mats Thulin; Ivan C. Nielsen; Byoung-Hee Choi; Nicholas J. Turland; Roger M. Polhill; Supee Saksuwan Larsen; Ding Hou; Yu Iokawa; C. Melanie Wilmot-Dear; Gregory Kenicer; Tomoyuki Nemoto; J. Michael Lock; Alfonso Delgado Salinas; Tatiana E. Kramina; Anthony R. Brach; Bruce Bartholomew & Dmitry D. Sokoloff (2010). "Parochetus Buchanan-Hamilton ex D. Don, Prodr. Fl. Nepal. 240. 1825". In Wu Zhengyi; P. H. Raven & Deyuan Hong (eds.). Fabaceae. Flora of China. 10. Missouri Botanical Garden Press. pp. 551–552. ISBN   9781930723917.
  3. ↑ Peter Hanelt; R. Büttner, eds. (2001). Mansfeld's Encyclopedia of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: (Except Ornamentals). Springer. p. 859. ISBN   9783540410171.
  4. 1 2 3 4 L. B. Chaudhary & M. Sanjappa (1998). "Notes on the identity of Parochetus africanus Polhill (Leguminosae–Papilionoideae)" (PDF). Taiwania . 3 (4): 316–319. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-11-12.
  5. ↑ "Parochetus communis". LegumeWeb. International Legume Database & Information Service. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
  6. ↑ Rashtra Vardhana (2006). Floristic Plants of the World. Sarup & Sons. p. 633. ISBN   9788176256513.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 R. K. Brummitt; D. K. Harder; G. P. Lewis; J. M. Lock; R. M. Polhill & B. Verdcourt (2003). "Parochetus africanus Polhill". Flora Zambesiaca . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved November 12, 2013.
  8. ↑ D. J. Mabberley (2008). Mabberley's Plant-book: a Portable Dictionary of Plants, their Classifications, and Uses. Cambridge University Press. p. 635. ISBN   9780521820714.
  9. ↑ "Parochetus communis". NZ Plant Conservation Network. January 18, 2010. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
  10. ↑ Francis Hamilton (1825). Prodromus Floræ Nepalensis, sive Enumeratio Vegetabilium, quæ in Itinere Nepaliam proprie dictam et Regiones Conterminas, ann. 1802–1803. London: J. Gale. pp. 240–241.
  11. 1 2 3 K. A. Beckett & R. M. Polhill (1991). "Parochetus africanus Leguminosae". Curtis's Botanical Magazine . 8 (2): 54–58. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8748.1991.tb00353.x.
  12. ↑ Ernest Small (2011). "Circumscription of the genus Medicago and its classification in the Fabaceae". Alfalfa and Relatives: Evolution and Classification of Medicago. NRC Research Press. pp. 71–93. ISBN   9780660199795.
  13. ↑ L. B. Chaudhary & M. Sanjappa (1998). "Parochetinae: a new subtribe of Trifolieae (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae)". Taxon . 47 (4): 829–831. doi:10.2307/1224187. JSTOR   1224187.
  14. ↑ Douglas Ellory Pett (2006). "Lamorran House Gardens". The Cornwall Gardens Guide. Alison Hodge Publishers. pp. 119–120. ISBN   9780906720486.
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