Smithiastrum

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Smithiastrum
Asyneuma prenanthoides syn campanula prenanthoides.jpg
Smithiastrum prenanthoides near Ashland, Oregon
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Campanulaceae
Subfamily: Campanuloideae
Genus: Smithiastrum
Morin [1]
Type species
Smithiastrum prenanthoides
Species

Smithiastrum is a genus of plants in the Campanulaceae or bellflower family found in the western United States. Its members are commonly known as harebells and were previously included in the family's type genus, Campanula , and were segregated when it was found that the Campanula was polyphyletic. [2] As of 2023, Smithiastrum comprises two species. [1]

Contents

Description

Smithiastrum is a small genus of slender perennial herbs. Species lack a basal rosette of leaves. The flowers are terminal or axillary. The hypanthium is cylindrical or obconic with a squared base. The sepals are highly slender and the corolla is noticeably divided for 66–90% of its length. The petals are slender and spreading to recurved. The fruiting capsule is ribbed and hemispherical to obconic. [2]

Taxonomy and naming

Smithiastrum was erected in 2020 by botanist Nancy Morin in a paper splitting several North American Campanula species into smaller genera to resolve a previously polyphyletic grouping of genera in the Campanulaceae. The genus name honors James Payne Smith Jr., a California botanist. The latter half of the epithet, astrum, denotes a star in Latin and refers to the shape of the flowers. [2]

The type species of Smithiastrum, S. prenanthoides, was originally placed in Campanula and has been included in Asyneuma . The latter genus is distinguished from related genera by its completely divided corolla and paniculate inflorescences. However, the petals in S. prenanthoides are basally connate and less strongly flared. Further differences lie in the filament structure, style papillae, and capsule shape. [2]

The only other species of Smithiastrum as of 2023, S. wilkinsianum, had been suggested to be sister to S. prenanthoides in 2011 and 2018 before Smithiastrum was erected. [3] Both species belong to the Rapunculus clade, one of two deeply separated clades in Campanula sensu lato. [2]

As of August 2023, Smithiastrum consists of 2 accepted species: [1]

Distribution and habitat

Members of Smithiastrum are found in the coniferous forests of California in the western Sierra Nevada, Cascade Range, Klamath Range, North Coast Range, and western Oregon in the Coast and Cascade Ranges. [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Campanula</i> Genus of flowering plants in the bellflower family Campanulaceae

Campanula is the type genus of the Campanulaceae family of flowering plants. Campanula are commonly known as bellflowers and take both their common and scientific names from the bell-shaped flowers — campanula is Latin for "little bell".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campanulaceae</span> Family of flowering plants comprising bellflowers

The family Campanulaceae, of the order Asterales, contains nearly 2400 species in 84 genera of herbaceous plants, shrubs, and rarely small trees, often with milky sap. Among them are several familiar garden plants belonging to the genera Campanula (bellflower), Lobelia, and Platycodon (balloonflower). Campanula rapunculus and Codonopsis lanceolata are eaten as vegetables. Lobelia inflata, L. siphilitica and L. tupa and others have been used as medicinal plants. Campanula rapunculoides may be a troublesome weed, particularly in gardens, while Legousia spp. may occur in arable fields.

<i>Campanula rotundifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Campanula rotundifolia, the harebell, Scottish bluebell, or bluebell of Scotland, is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family Campanulaceae. This herbaceous perennial is found throughout the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. In Scotland, it is often known simply as bluebell. It is the floral emblem of Sweden where it is known as small bluebell. It produces its violet-blue, bell-shaped flowers in late summer and autumn.

<i>Wahlenbergia</i> Genus of flowering plants

Wahlenbergia is a genus of around 260 species of flowering plants in the family Campanulaceae. Plants in this genus are perennial or annual herbs with simple leaves and blue to purple bell-shaped flowers, usually with five petals lobes. Species of Wahlenbergia are found on all continents except North America, and on some isolated islands, but the greatest diversity occurs in the Southern Hemisphere.

<i>Campanula glomerata</i> Species of plant

Campanula glomerata, known by the common names clustered bellflower or Dane's blood, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Campanula, belonging to the family Campanulaceae. It is the county flower of Rutland, England.

<i>Campanula medium</i> Species of flowering plant

Campanula medium, common name Canterbury bells, is an annual or biennial flowering plant of the genus Campanula, belonging to the family Campanulaceae. In floriography, it represents gratitude, or faith and constancy.

<i>Campanula cervicaria</i> Species of flowering plant

Campanula cervicaria, the bristly bellflower, is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family Campanulaceae. The plant is roughly hairy and the flowers are about 1–2 centimetres (0.4–0.8 in) long, light blue and are grouped together.

<i>Campanula latifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Campanula latifolia, the giant bellflower, is a species of bellflower in the family Campanulaceae. It is also known as the large campanula and the wide-leaved bellflower. It is native to Europe and western Asia and is widely grown as an ornamental plant.

<i>Lobelia scaevolifolia</i> Genus of flowering plants

Lobelia scaevolifolia is a species of the plant family Campanulaceae. It is endemic to the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean. It was at one time placed as the only species, Trimeris scaevolifolia, in the genus Trimeris. Its common name is St. Helena lobelia.

<i>Eurybia</i> (plant) Genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae

Eurybia is a genus of plants in the family Asteraceae that were previously included in the genus Aster. Most species are native to North America, although one is also present in northern Eurasia. There are 23 species in the genus, including 1 natural hybrid. The name was first applied by Alexandre de Cassini in 1820. The name is derived from Ancient Greek εὐρύς (eurús), meaning "wide", and βαιός (baiós), meaning "few", perhaps in reference to the small number of relatively wide ray florets.

<i>Campanula rapunculoides</i> Species of flowering plant

Campanula rapunculoides, known by the common names creeping bellflower, rampion bellflower, rover bellflower, garden bluebell, creeping bluebell, purple bell, garden harebell, and creeping campanula, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Campanula, belonging to the family Campanulaceae. Native to central and southern Europe and west Asia, in some parts of North America it is an extremely invasive species.

<i>Campanula persicifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Campanula persicifolia, the peach-leaved bellflower, is a flowering plant species in the family Campanulaceae. It is an herbaceous perennial growing to 1 m. Its flowers are cup-shaped and can be either lilac-blue or white. Its foliage is narrow and glossy with a bright green appearance.

<i>Campanula patula</i> Species of flowering plant

Campanula patula or spreading bellflower is a plant species of the genus Campanula. It can grow to more than half a meter high. This delicate bellflower bears lateral branches of pale blue or white flowers that are upright and funnel shaped. The leaves are narrow and pointed. Branches are often supported by the surrounding vegetation, so the plants can appear prostrate. The main difference between this and other bellflowers is that the petals in the bell are spread out and more pointed and this gives this species its common name.

<i>Campanula rapunculus</i> Species of flowering plant

Campanula rapunculus, common name rampion bellflower, rampion, rover bellflower, or rapunzel, is a species of bellflower (Campanula) in the family Campanulaceae.

<i>Primula poetica</i> Species of flowering plant

Primula poetica, synonym Dodecatheon poeticum, is commonly known as the poet's shooting star or the narcissus shooting star. P. poetica is a species of the genus Primula placed in section Dodecatheon. It is native to the states of Oregon and Washington in western North America. The section contains herbaceous flowering plants and is also a part of the primrose family Primulaceae. This plant has basal clumps of leaves and drooping flowers that occur at the apex of tall stems that rise from where the leaves join.

<i>Asyneuma</i> Genus of flowering plants

Asyneuma is a genus of flowering plants in the bellflower family, Campanulaceae. They are native to North Africa and Eurasia. Many are endemic to Turkey. Plants of the genus may be known commonly as harebells, but this name can also apply to the entire family. There are up to about 33 species.

<i>Campanula thyrsoides</i> Species of flowering plant

Campanula thyrsoides is a flowering plant belonging to the family Campanulaceae.

<i>Wahlenbergia gymnoclada</i> Species of plant

Wahlenbergia gymnoclada, commonly known as the naked bluebell, is a species of plant of the family Campanulaceae and is native to Australia. It is one of 200 species, in the Wahlenbergia genus. Of these species, 26 occur in Australia, including one introduced, and Tasmania has seven species of native Wahlenbergia. Species in this genus are “all slender perennial herbs and most species occur in grassy vegetation, although one occurs in rocky alpine areas. “The slender pedicels with delicate blue, symmetrical, flowers make this a relatively distinctive genus. The corolla tube is bell shaped, often with more or less spreading lobes”.

<i>Campanula petiolata</i> Species of flowering plant

Campanula petiolata, is a wild flower that is called western harebell when it is distinguished from Campanula rotundifolia or simply harebell when it is considered the same species. It is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family Campanulaceae. This herbaceous perennial is found through much of the temperate areas of North America. It produces its violet-blue, bell-shaped flowers in late summer and autumn. It is closely related to Campanula rotundifolia and is considered either a subspecies or the same species by many botanists.

<i>Smithiastrum prenanthoides</i> Species of flowering plant

Smithiastrum prenanthoides, commonly known as the California harebell, is a perennial flowering plant in the Campanulaceae. It was formerly classified as a member of either Campanula or Asyneuma and was re-split following the discovery that genera in the family are polyphyletic. S. prenanthoides belongs to one of several small genera in the Campanulaceae native to California and grows in montane coniferous forests.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Smithiastrum". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Morin, N.R. (2020). "Taxonomic changes in North American Campanuloideae (Campanulaceae)" (PDF). Phytoneuron. 2020 (49): 1–46.
  3. Wendling, Barry M.; Galbreath, Kurt E.; DeChaine, Eric G. (2011-09-09). "Resolving the Evolutionary History of Campanula (Campanulaceae) in Western North America". PLOS ONE. 6 (9): e23559. Bibcode:2011PLoSO...623559W. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023559 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   3170292 . PMID   21931605.