Genus of the Week
Week of July 19-25
This page has been created for people who want to learn more about plants, especially in the
context of their taxonomy (Latin names, etc.). This is by no means an exhaustive list of
all available Web resources for a particular genus.
The Genus of the Week is Back!! I strive ever closer to my goal of describing one genus from
every Order. If you are interested in what I have been doing the past few weeks while this page
was not being updated, check out What I did on my Summer Vacation.
If you like this page, you might also want to visit the Land of the Glandular Trichomes
, a microscopic look at plants in the Lamiaceae family. Also, you can see my contribution to the
Conservation New England web site, entitled
"The Introduction of Non-Native Plants into Massachusetts".
This week's genus:
Galax
Subclass: Dicotyledoneae
Superorder: Dilleniidae
Order: Diapensiales
Family: Diapensiaceae
Number of Species: 1
Root: From the Greek "gala", meaning milk, a reference to the color of the flowers.
The order Diapensiales is a small one, consisting of only 7 different genera and 20 species.
The genus Galax is represented by a single species, G. rotundifolia (formerly
known as G. aphylla). Although this basal-leaved perennial was once considered rare
in its native habitats in the Southeastern U.S., it is now frequently planted as an ornamental
all over the country, and has had some success as a garden escapee.
Here are a few links to images and descriptions of different Galax species:
- Read about how the Sluder Floral Company
grows and sells the leaves of the Galax.
- Here is
a picture of G. aphylla, part of the herbaceous layer of the Closed Oak forests in
the Smoky Mountains (brought to you by the University of Southern Carolina).
- Those interested in Population Biology will want to check out a web page created by Tracy
Burton, from the University of Guelph, in which she describes in detail her research on
polyploidy in Galax.
- You might also want to visit Galax, Virginia, a town
named after the plant.
References:
- Heywood, V.H., ed. Flowering Plants of the World. New York, Oxford University Press: 1993.
- Neiring, William A. and Nancy C. Olmstead., eds. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers, Eastern Region. Alfred A. Knopf, New York: 1979.
 | If you have comments on "Genus of the Week" or suggestions for a future genus,
Click on the envelope and send me some email!
|
Current Genus of the Week
Jenn's Home Page
Kesseli Lab
