Boerhavia

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Ordo: Caryophyllales

Familia: Nyctaginaceae
Tribus: Nyctagineae
Genus: Boerhavia
Species: B. alamasona – B. alata – B. anisophylla – B. burbidgeana – B. chrysantha – B. ciliata – B. coccinea – B. cordobensis – B. coulteri – B. crispa – B. crispifolia – B. deserticola – – B. dominii – B. elegans – B. erecta – B. fistulosa – B. gardneri – B. gracillima – B. herbstii – B. hereroensis – B. hitchcockii – B. hualienensis – B. linearifolia – B. maculata – B. megaptera – B. orbicularifolia – B. paludosa – B. procumbens – B. pterocarpa – B. pulchella – B. punarnava – B. purpurascens – B. repens – B. repleta – B. schomburgkiana – B. somalensis – B. spicata – B. tetrandra – B. torreyana – B. traubae – B. triquetra – B. verbenacea – B. weberbaueri – B. wrightiiB. diffusa
Name

Boerhavia L. Sp. Pl. 1: 3. (1753)

Type species: Boerhavia diffusa L. Sp. Pl. 1: 3. (1753)

Synonyms

Heterotypic
Boheravia Parodi Anales Soc. Ci. Argent. 5: 210. (1878)

References

Linnaeus, C. 1753. Species Plantarum 1: 3.
Hassler, M. 2017. Boerhavia. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2017. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2017 May 12. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2017. Boerhavia. Published online. Accessed: 12 May 2017.
Tropicos.org 2017. Boerhavia. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2017 May 12.

Vernacular names
English: Spiderlings, Wine-flower

Boerhavia is a genus of over 100 species in the Nyctaginaceae family. The genus was named for Herman Boerhaave, a Dutch botanist, and the genus name is frequently misspelled "Boerhaavia". Common names include spiderlings and hogweeds.

Taxonomy

There are over 100 species in the genus Boerhavia, which is in the family Nyctaginaceae, which includes the four o'clock flower.[1]

The genus was named for the Dutch botanist Herman Boerhaave, and often misspelt as "Boerhaavia". Common names include spiderlings and hogweeds.
Description

Some species are annuals and others perennials. In habit they generally are herbaceous.

"Spiderling" refers to the appearance of those species that bear inflorescences on numerous long, slender stems, interlocking in a manner suggestive of a spider or spider's web.

Boerhavia species generally are native to warm tropical regions.
Significance

Several species of Boerhavia are of importance as agricultural and horticultural weeds. Some are valued as forage for grazing livestock, and some, such as Boerhavia erecta, also are of use as human food and folk medicine.
Selected species

Boerhavia anisophylla Torr. – wineflower
Boerhavia boissieri
Boerhavia coccinea P.Mill. – scarlet spiderling
Boerhavia coulteri (Hook.f.) S.Wats. - Coulter spiderling, Coulter's spiderling
Boerhavia diffusa L. – red spiderling
Boerhavia dominii Meikle & Hewson – tah-vine
Boerhavia elegans
Boerhavia erecta L. – erect spiderling
Boerhavia gracillima Heimerl – slim-stalk spiderling, slimstalk spiderling
Boerhavia herbstii Fosberg – alena
Boerhavia intermedia M.E.Jones – five-wing spiderling, fivewing spiderling
Boerhavia linearifolia Gray – narrowleaf spiderling
Boerhavia mathisiana F.B.Jones – Mathis' spiderling
Boerhavia megaptera Standl. – annual spiderling, Tucson Mountain spiderling
Boerhavia pterocarpa S.Wats. – Apache Pass spiderling
Boerhavia purpurascens Gray – purple spiderling
Boerhavia repens L.
Boerhavia scandens L. – climbing spiderling, climbing wartclub, wishbone vine
Boerhavia spicata Choisy – creeping spiderling
Boerhavia tetrandra G.Forst.[2][3] Range: Lord Howe Island, Pacific islands,[4] New South Wales, Queensland,[5] Polynesia, Micronesia. Native names across the Pacific Islands include runa, paikea, tiale katuli, tiare katuri, katuri, naunau, and momoe.[6] Found on Bramble Cay in the Torres Strait, and eaten as a type of spinach by humans.[7]
Boerhavia triquetra S.Wats. – slender spiderling
Boerhavia wrightii Gray – Wright's boerhavia

References

"Search [boerhavia]". World Flora Online. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
"Boerhavia tetrandra G.Forst". World Flora Online. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
"Flora of Australia Online [search results]". Australian National Botanic Gardens - Botanical Web Portal. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
"Boerhavia tetrandra G.Forst". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. 1 September 1989. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
"Boerhavia tetrandra G.Forst". PlantNET: New South Wales Flora Online. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
"Boerhavia tetrandra". Cook Islands Biodiversity & Natural Heritage. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
Ellison, Joanna C. (September 1998). "Natural History Of Bramble Cay, Torres Strait" (PDF). Atoll Research Bulletin No. 455. National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 February 2009.