Nertera

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

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

Familia: Rubiaceae
Subfamilia: Rubioideae
Tribus: Anthospermeae
Genus: Nertera
Species: N. balfouriana – N. ciliata – N. cunninghamii – N. dichondrifolia – N. granadensis – N. holmboei – N. nigricarpa – N. scapanioides – N. sinensis – N. villosa
Name

Nertera Banks & Sol. ex Gaertn., Fruct. Sem. Pl. 1: 124 (1788), nom. cons.

Type species: Nertera granadensis var. granadensis originally designated as synonym Nertera depressa Gaertn., Fruct. Sem. Pl. 1: 124. (1788)

Synonyms

Heterotypic
Gomozia Mutis ex L.f., Suppl. Pl. 17. (1782)
Erythrodanum Thouars, Fl. Tristan d'Acugn. 41. (1811)
Cunina Clos in C.Gay, Fl. Chil. 3: 201. (1848)
Peratanthe Urb., Ark. Bot. 17(7): 60. (1921)

References

Gaertner, J. 1788. De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum. 1: 124.
Andersson, L. 2001. Peratanthe Is a Synonym of Nertera (Rubiaceae, Anthospermeae). Brittonia 52: 351-353. (JSTOR; DOI: 10.2307/2666588) Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2019. Nertera in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 June 19. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2019. Nertera. Published online. Accessed: June 19 2019.
Tropicos.org 2019. Nertera. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 June 19.

Nertera is a genus of about 15 species of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae, native to the Southern Hemisphere, in South America and Australasia, with one species extending into the Northern Hemisphere in Central America, eastern Asia, and Hawaii.[2] The name derives from the Greek word nerteros, meaning low down. Common names include pincushion, coral bead or bead plant. They are prostrate, creeping, mat-forming herbaceous perennial plants growing to 20–40 cm (7.9–15.7 in) across or more but no more than a few centimetres high. The leaves are usually quite small, and when crushed may in some species release a foul smell (methanethiol) like the related woody genus Coprosma. The flowers are insignificant and probably wind-pollinated. The fruit is usually a bright orange berry, but in some species may be a dry capsule.

Selected species

Nertera balfouriana - from New Zealand, forming small but dense patches of vegetation on wet boggy ground at altitudes between about 600 to 1000 m. It fruits in February, small bright red berries which can cover the whole plant.
Nertera ciliata
Nertera cunninghamii - a common plant at low altitudes in New Zealand, on streamsides or wet roadsides. When in fruit, the plant is covered by bright orange berries produced singly.
Nertera granadensis

References

"Genus Nertera". Taxonomy. UniProt. Retrieved 2009-11-11.

http://botany.si.edu/

Germplasm Resources Information Network: Nertera[permanent dead link]