Genus of the Month
February
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.
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 month's genus:
Zizia
Subclass: Dicotyledoneae
Superorder: Rosidae
Order: Umbellales
Family: Apiaceae
Number of Species: 3
Root: This genus was named for Johann Ziz, a German botanist in the 19th century.
Plants in the genus Zizia, like most others in the Apiaceae family, bear flowers on
distinct umbels, or umbrella-like inflorescences. The Apiaceae family, originally (and often
still) known under the name Umbelliferae, was possibly the first family of flowering plants to
be recognized by early botanists. There appears to be some confusion between the species Z. aptera
and Z. aurea, which are often both referred to as "Golden Alexanders".
Here are a few links to images and descriptions of different Zizia species:
- For a nice picture of Z. aptera,
visit the Wildflowers of Western Kentucky web page. This species can be
found growing throughout the United States.
- Click here or
here to view photos of herbarium specimens of Z. aurea from Texas and Vermont,
respectively. Brought to you by the Vascular Plant Image Gallery at Texas A&M University.
- Read more about
Z. aptera, here referred to as "Heart-Leaved Alexanders", from the Wanuskewin
Heritage Park web page.
References:
- Heywood, V.H., ed. Flowering Plants of the World. New York, Oxford University Press: 1993.
- Spellenberg, Richard. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American
Wildflowers, Western Region. New York, Alfred A. Knopf: 1994.
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