Ruellia

Ruellia
Ruellia tuberosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Acanthaceae
Subfamily:	Acanthoideae
Tribe:	Ruellieae
Genus:	Ruellia L.[1]
Species
Many, see text
Synonyms
Aphragmia Nees Arrhostoxylum Nees Brunoniella Bremek. Copioglossa Miers Cryphiacanthus Nees Dinteracanthus C.B.Clarke ex Schinz Dipteracanthus Nees Endosiphon T.Anderson ex Benth. & Hook.f. Gymnacanthus Nees Gymnacanthus Oerst. Leptosiphonium F.Muell. Nothoruellia Bremek. Pararuellia Bremek. Pattersonia J.F.Gmel. Sclerocalyx Nees Stenoschista Bremek. Stephanophysum Pohl Tacoanthus Baill.

Ruellia is a genus of flowering plants commonly known as ruellias or wild petunias.^[2] They are not closely related to petunias (Petunia) although both genera belong to the same euasterid clade. The genus was named in honor of Jean Ruelle, herbalist and physician to Francis I of France and translator of several works of Dioscorides.

Apart from the numerous formerly independent genera nowadays considered synonymous with Ruellia, the segregate genera Blechum, Eusiphon, Polylychnis and Ulleria are often included in Ruellia. Acanthopale, however, is considered a distinct genus.

Ruellias are popular ornamental plants. Some are used as medicinal plants, but many are known or suspected to be poisonous. Their leaves are food for the caterpillars of several Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), typically Nymphalinae and in particular members of their tribe Junoniini. Nymphalinae using Ruellia as host plants include the Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia), recorded on R. nodiflora, the Lemon Pansy (Junonia lemonias), recorded on R. tuberosa, and th Malachite Butterfly (Siproeta stelenes) and Australian Lurcher (Yoma sabina), which are recorded on several species.

Ruellia elegans

bell weed (Ruellia prostrata)

Ruellia dipteracanthus

Selected species

Ruellia acutangula Ruellia affinis (Schrad.) Lindau Ruellia angustior Ruellia asperula Ruellia blumei Steud. Ruellia brevicaulis Ruellia brevifolia (Pohl) C.Ezcurra – tropical wild petunia, red Christmas pride Ruellia capitata Ruellia caroliniensis (J.F.Gmel.) Steud. Ruellia cernua Roxb. Ruellia chartacea (T.Anderson) Wassh. Ruellia ciliatiflora Hook. Ruellia ciliosa Pursh[3] Ruellia colorata (might belong in R. trivialis) Ruellia currorii Ruellia densa Ruellia devosiana Jacob-Makoy ex E.Morren Ruellia dielsii Ruellia diffusa Ruellia dioscoridis Ruellia dissitifolia Ruellia drymophila Hand.-Mazz. Ruellia elegans Poir. Ruellia eriocalyx Ruellia eurycodon Ruellia flava Ruellia formosa Ruellia fulgida Andrews Ruellia geminiflora – ipecacuanha-da-flor-roxa (Portuguese) Ruellia glanduloso-punctata Ruellia hapalotricha Ruellia helianthemum Ruellia humilis Nutt. – fringeleaf wild petunia, plains petunia, fringeleaf ruellia, hairy ruellia, low ruellia, zigzag ruel

Ruellia hypericoides Ruellia incomta Ruellia insignis Ruellia kuriensis Ruellia macrantha (Nees) Gower – Christmas pride Ruellia macrophylla Vahl Ruellia makoyana Hort.Makoy ex Closon Ruellia menthoides Ruellia neesiana Ruellia nitens Ruellia noctiflora Ruellia nudiflora (Engelm. & A.Gray) Urb. Ruellia patula Ruellia paulayana Ruellia pohlii Ruellia portellae (might belong in R. trivialis) Ruellia prostrata Poir. Ruellia puri Ruellia rasa Ruellia rosea (Nees) Hemsl. Ruellia rufipila Ruellia salicifolia Ruellia simplex C.Wright Ruellia sindica Ruellia squarrosa (Fenzl) Cufod. Ruellia stenandrium Ruellia strepens L. (might belong in R. trivialis) Ruellia tomentosa Ruellia trachyphylla Ruellia trivialis Ruellia tuberosa L. – minnie root, fever root, snapdragon root, sheep potato, popping pod, duppy gun, cracker plant (syn. R. picta) Ruellia verbaciformis Ruellia villosa Ruellia vindex Ruellia zeylanica[2][4]

Formerly placed here

Numerous plants, mainly Acanthaceae, are former members of Ruellia. Some examples are:

• Asystasia gangetica subsp. micrantha (Nees) Ensermu (as R. intrusa Forssk.)
• Asystasia gangetica subsp. gangetica (as R. zeylanica J.Koenig ex Roxb.)
• Blepharis ciliaris (L.) B.L.Burtt (as R. ciliaris L. or R. persica Burm.f.)
• Dyschoriste oblongifolia (Michx.) Kuntze (as R. oblongifolia Michx.)
• Hemigraphis repanda (L.) Hallier f. (as R. repanda L.)
• Hygrophila costata Nees et al. (as R. brasiliensis Spreng.)
• Hygrophila difformis (L.f.) Blume (as R. difformis L. f.)
• Hygrophila lacustris (Schltdl. & Cham.) Nees (as R. lacustris Schltdl. & Cham.)
• Hygrophila ringens (L.) R. Br. ex Steud. (as R. ringens L. or R. salicifolia Vahl)
• Lepidagathis alopecuroidea (Vahl) R. Br. ex Griseb. (as R. alopecuroidea Vahl)
• Lindernia antipoda (L.) Alston (as R. antipoda L.)
• Stenandrium dulce (Cav.) Nees (as R. dulcis Cav.)
• Strobilanthes anisophylla (Lodd. et al.) T. Anderson (as R. anisophylla Lodd. et al.)
• Strobilanthes hamiltoniana (Steud.) Bosser & Heine (as R. hamiltoniana Steud.)^[4]
• Teliostachya alopecuroidea Nees (as R. alopecuroidea, R. alopecuroides)

See also

• 21540 Itthipanyanan, an asteroid named after a student who authored an award-winning experiment^[5] on the dehiscence and dispersion of Ruellia tuberosa seed pods.

References

1. "Genus: Ruellia L.". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2009-01-23. Retrieved 2010-05-26.
2. "Ruellia". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2011-05-20.
3. "Ruellia ciliosa Pursh". Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). Retrieved 6 April 2013.
4. "GRIN Species Records of Ruellia". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2011-05-20.
5. "21540 Itthipanyanan (1998 QE11)". JPL Small-Body Database. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 6 April 2013.

External links

• Germplasm Resources Information Network: Copioglossa
• PlantSystematics: Ruellia
• Classification: Ruellia, species list at USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
• Tree of Life: Ruellia.