Samolus

Taxobox
name = "Brookweed"

---

image_width = 240px
image_caption = "S. valerandi"
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Ericales
familia = Samolaceae
familia_authority = Raf.
genus = "Samolus"
genus_authority = L.
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = See text

"Samolus" (Brookweed, or water pimpernel) is a nearly cosmopolitan genus of about a dozen species of water-loving herbs. It was formerly treated as part of the Primulaceae or Theophrastaceae, but is now often placed in its own family, the Samolaceae. [Kubitzki, K., "Flowering Plants" (v. 6): Dicotyledons - Celastrales, Oxalidales, Rosales, Cornales, Ericales. ISBN: 3540065121] [Caris P.L. and Smets E.F., "A floral ontogenetic study on the sister group relationship between the genus Samolus (Primulaceae) and the Theophrastaceae", American Journal of Botany. 2004;91:627-643]

;Species

The last complete taxonomic treatment of this genus [Crusio, W.E. "Het geslacht Samolus L.", Communications of the Dutch Waterplant Society. 1982;2:13-25.] [Crusio, W.E. "Notes on the genus Samolus L. (Primulaceae)", Communications of the Dutch Waterplant Society. 1984;6:13-16.] recognizes the following species:

*"Samolus cinerascens"
*"Samolus dichondrifolius"
*"Samolus ebracteatus"
*"Samolus junceus"
*"Samolus porosus"
*"Samolus pyrolifolius"
*"Samolus repens"
*"Samolus junceus"
*"Samolus spathulatus"
*"Samolus subnudicaulis"
*"Samolus vagans"
*"Samolus valerandi"

"Samolus valerandi" is native to a very wide area across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas; the other species have more restricted ranges.

References

External links

* [http://linnaeus.nrm.se/flora/di/primula/samol/samovalv.jpgDistribution map of "Samolus valerandi" from the Naturhistoriska riksmuseet, Stockholm]
* [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/family.pl?993 GRIN Taxonomy]