- Proboscidea (genus)
Taxobox
name = "Proboscidea"
image_width = 180px
image_caption = Botanical detail of "Proboscidea louisianica"
regnum =Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis =Magnoliopsida
ordo =Lamiales
familia =Martyniaceae
genus = "Proboscidea"
genus_authority = Schmidel
subdivision_ranks =Species
subdivision = See text."Proboscidea" is a
genus offlowering plant in the familyMartyniaceae , some of whose species are known as devil's claw, devil's horn, ram's horn, or unicorn plant. The plants produce long, hooked seed pods. The hooks catch on the feet of animals, and as the animals walk, the pods are ground or crushed open, dispersing the seeds.The fruits of some species are edible before they ripen and become woody; some species (particularly "parviflora") are also used in
basket weaving . [ [http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ww0801.htm Devils Claws ] ]Two species of Proboscidea that grow in Arizona are the only known hosts of
Manduca sexta (tomato hornworm) outside the familySolanaceae . [Mechaber, W. L. and J. G. Hildebrand. 2000. Novel, non-solanaceous hostplant record for Manduca sexta (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) in the southwestern United States. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 93(3):447-451.]The name devil's claw is shared with the
South Africa n plant "Harpagophytum procumbens ".Species include:
* "Proboscidea althaeifolia " - devil's horn, devil's claw, or desert unicorn plant
* "Proboscidea louisianica " - ram's horn
* "Proboscidea parviflora " - doubleclaw
* "Proboscidea sabulosa " - dune unicorn plant
* "Proboscidea spicata " - New Mexico unicorn plant"Proboscidea lutea" is a synonym of "
Ibicella lutea ".References
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