Smallanthus

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Smallanthus
Smallanthus pyramidalis

Smallanthus pyramidalis

Systematics
Euasterids II
Order : Astern-like (Asterales)
Family : Daisy family (Asteraceae)
Subfamily : Asteroideae
Tribe : Millerieae
Genre : Smallanthus
Scientific name
Smallanthus
Mack. ex Small

The Smallanthus are a plant genus in the subfamily of Asteroideae within the family of the daisy family (Asteraceae). The approximately 21 species are common in the New World. Few of them, for example Yacón ( Smallanthus sonchifolius ), are used as medicinal or useful plants .

description

Illustration of Smallanthus uvedalia
Smallanthus maculatus
Yac'n ( Smallanthus sonchifolius )
Yacón root bulbs ( Smallanthus sonchifolius )
Flower heads of Smallanthus uvedalia

Vegetative characteristics

Smallanthus species grow as upright, rarely annual to mostly perennial herbaceous plants and sometimes form root tubers as persistent organs; or if they are woody species, they grow as shrubs or small trees . Depending on the species, they usually reach heights of 1 to 3, rarely more than 12 meters.

The opposite constantly arranged distributed on the stems or branches leaves are stalked (usually with winged handle) or rarely sessile. The leaf blade is simple to lobed. The leaf margin is serrated. The leaf surfaces are hairy differently depending on the species, at least the underside.

Generative characteristics

The head-shaped inflorescences are single and terminal or in pairs to five in branched total inflorescences . The flower heads are circular with a diameter of 0.8 to over 1.5 centimeters. There are 12 to 13, rarely more than 25 bracts in two rows ; the outer four to six are broader and herbaceous, the inner ones are narrower, shorter and membranous (green) or dry-skinned (brown). The inflorescence bases are flat to convex . There are dry-skinned chaff leaves. The flower heads contain seven to 13, rarely more than 25 ray-florets and usually 40 to 80 (20 to over 150) tubular florets. The female, fertile , zygomorphic ray- flowers (= ray-flowers) are mostly yellow, rarely white or orange with hairy corolla tubes. The functionally male, fertile tubular flowers (= disc flowers) are mostly yellow, rarely orange with five corolla lobes.

The 30-, 40-ribbed or -striped achenes are mostly ovate or rarely square and sometimes hairy at the tip. There is no pappus .

Systematics and distribution

The genus Smallanthus was first published in 1933 by Kenneth Kent Mackenzie in John Kunkel Small : Manual of the Flora of the Southeastern US 1406 and it was published by Harold E. Robinson in 1978 in Studies in the Heliantheae (Asteraceae). XII. Re-establishment of the genus Smallanthus. , reactivated in Phytologia , Volume 39, pp. 47-47. The botanical genus name Smallanthus honors the American botanist John Kunkel Small (1869–1938). The genus Smallanthus belongs to the tribe Millerieae in the subfamily of Asteroideae within the sunflower family (Asteraceae). Many species used to be included in the genus Polymnia L. , in which only the few North American species remain today.

The natural distribution area of ​​the genus Smallanthus extends from the USA (only Smallanthus uvedalia ) via Mexico and Central America to South America, there to Argentina at 35 ° south latitude .

There are about 21 species in the genus Smallanthus today:

Common names

Common names in Spanish are: Jícama and Polaco.

use

Few smallanthus species are used as medicinal or useful plants . The root tubers of Yacón ( Smallanthus sonchifolius ) are eaten raw or cooked.

From the underground plant parts of Smallanthus uvedalius is drug extract of Polymniae fluid recovered.

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Harold E. Robinson: Studies in the Heliantheae (Asteraceae). XII. Re-establishment of the genus Smallanthus. In: Phytologia , Volume 39, 1978, pp. 47-47.
  2. ↑ a b c d e Smallanthus in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), USDA , ARS , National Genetic Resources Program. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
  3. ↑ John L. Strother: Smallanthus , page 33 - the same text online as the printed work , In: Flora of North America Editorial Committee (Ed.): Flora of North America North of Mexico , Volume 21: Magnoliophyta: Asteridae, part 8: Asteraceae, part 3 (Heliantheae, Eupatorieae). Oxford University Press, New York and Oxford, 2006, ISBN 0-19-530565-5 .
  4. ↑ a b Smallanthus at Trees and shrubs of the Andes of Ecuador .
  5. ^ Alfredo Grau & Julio Rea: Yacon - Smallanthus sonchifolius (Poepp. & Endl.) H. Robinson . ( Memento of the original from August 23, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.cipotato.org
  6. ↑ Harvey Wickes Felter, John Uri Lloyd: King's American Dispensatory , 1898: Online.
  7. ↑ Profile at killerplants.com . ( Memento of the original from June 28, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.killerplants.com

Web links

Commons : Smallanthus  - collection of images, videos and audio files