Hedbergia

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Cladus: Lamiids
Ordo: Lamiales

Familia: Orobanchaceae
Tribus: Rhinantheae
Genus: Hedbergia
Species: H. abyssinica – H. decurva – H. longiflora
Name

Hedbergia Molau, Nordic J. Bot. 8(2): 194. 1988.

Type species: Hedbergia abyssinica (Hochst. ex Benth.) Molau, Nordic J. Bot. 8(2): 195. 1988.

References

Molau, U. 1988. Hedbergia, a new genus of Scrophulariaceae from Africa. Nordic Journal of Botany 8(2): 193–195. DOI: 10.1111/j.1756-1051.1988.tb00500.x Paywall. Reference page.
Scheunert, A., Fleischmann, A., Olano-Marin, C., Bräuchler, C. & Heubl, G. 2012. Phylogeny of tribe Rhinantheae (Orobanchaceae) with a focus on biogeography, cytology and re-examination of generic concepts. Taxon 61(6): 1269–1285. DOI: 10.1002/tax.616008 Paywall. JSTOR Paywall. ResearchGate Open access. Reference page. (!1281). Two more species, Hedbergia decurva and Hedbergia longiflora, are transferred to Hedbergia.
Hassler, M. 2019. Hedbergia. 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. 2019. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 Nov. 13. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2014. Hedbergia. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2014 Feb. 28.
International Plant Names Index. 2014. Hedbergia. Published online. Accessed: Feb. 28 2014.

Hedbergia is a monotypic genus of flowering plants, initially classified in Scrophulariaceae, and now within the broomrape family Orobanchaceae.[2] It contains a unique species, Hedbergia abyssinica.[1] It is an afromontane genus, widespread in grasslands and scrubs of the mountains of tropical Africa, and known from Ethiopia, Zaire, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Nigeria, and Cameroons.[2]

The genus name is a taxonomic patronym honoring the Swedish botanist Karl Olov Hedberg.
Description

Hedbergia abyssinica is a 1–2.5 feet (30–76 cm) high, very hispid perennial plant, with subsessile thick leaves, and densely crowded, white to pink or magenta flowers.[3][2]
Phylogeny
The phylogeny of the genera of Rhinantheae has been explored using molecular characters.[4][5] Hedbergia belongs to the core Rhinantheae. Hedbergia is closely related to Odontites, Bellardia, and Tozzia. In turn, these genera share phylogenetic affinities with Euphrasia, and then with Bartsia.