Wilhelmsia

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

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

Familia: Caryophyllaceae
Tribus: Sclerantheae
Genus: Wilhelmsia
Species: W. physodes
Name

Wilhelmsia Rchb., Consp. Regn. Veg.: 206. (1828)

monotypic taxon

Synonyms

Basionym
Merckia Fisch. ex Cham. & Schltdl. Linnaea 1: 59–60. (1826) nom. illeg.

Homonyms

Wilhelmsia K. Koch Linnaea 21(4): 400. (1848) nom. illeg. hom.

References

Reichenbach, H.G.L. 1828. Conspectus Regni Vegetabilis 206.
Hassler, M. 2017. Wilhelmsia. 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 online. Accessed: 2017 June 21. Reference page.
Harbaugh, D.T., Nepokroeff, M., Rabeler, R.K., McNeill, J., Zimmer, E.A. & Wagner, W.L. 2010. A new lineage based tribal classification of the family Caryophyllaceae. International Journal of Plant Sciences 171(2): 185–198. DOI: 10.1086/648993 ResearchGate Reference page.
Hernández-Ledesma, P., Berendsohn, W. G., Borsch, T., Mering, S. v., Akhani, H., Arias, S., Castañeda-Noa, I., Eggli, U., Eriksson, R., Flores-Olvera, H., Fuentes-Bazán, S., Kadereit, G., Klak, C., Korotkova, N., Nyffeler R., Ocampo G., Ochoterena, H., Oxelman, B., Rabeler, R. K., Sanchez, A., Schlumpberger, B. O. & Uotila, P. 2015. A taxonomic backbone for the global synthesis of species diversity in the angiosperm order Caryophyllales. Willdenowia 45(3): 281–383. DOI: 10.3372/wi.45.45301 Open access Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2017. Wilhelmsia. Published online. Accessed: June 21 2017.
Tropicos.org 2017. Wilhelmsia. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 21 June 2017.

Wilhelmsia is a monotypic genus of plants in the family Caryophyllaceae. It contains only one species, Wilhelmsia physodes, native to Alaska, northern Canada (Yukon and Northwest Territories), and Russia.[6][7]

Wilhelmsia physodes is distinctive in the family because of its large, inflated ovary that develops into a round, purple capsule up to 10 mm in diameter, partially septate (divided inside) into 3 compartments, each with 2 teeth on the outside. The plant is a perennial herb spreading by means of underground rhizomes. Stems are generally prostrated except for the upright flowering stalk. Leaves are up to 15 mm. Sepals are green, tinged with purple. Petals are white. [6][8][9][10]

References

McNeill, John. 1960. Taxon 9(4): 110.
Heinrich Gottlieb Ludwig Reichenbach. 1828. Conspectus Regni Vegetabilis 206.
Seringe, Nicolas Charles, in Candolle, Augustin Pyramus de. 1824. Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis 1: 413
Chamisso, Ludolf Karl Adelbert von, & Schlechtendal, Diederich Franz Leonhard von. 1826. Linnaea 1(1): 59.
Tropicos
Flora of North America vol 5
Czerepanov, S. K. 1981. Sosudistye Rasteniia SSSR. 509 pages. Nauka, Leningradskoe Otd-nie, Leningrad.
Cody, W. J. 1996. Flora of Yukon Terr. i–xvii, 1–669. NRC Research Press, Ottawa.
Hultén, E. 1968. Flora of Alaska i–xxi, 1–1008. Stanford University Press, Stanford.
Toolik Arctic Geobotanical Atlas, photo library, Wilhelmsia physodes