Gillenia

Taxobox
name = "Gillenia"

---

image_caption = "Gillenia stipulatus" illustration from "Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada" (1913)
image_width = 220px
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Rosales
familia = Rosaceae
subfamilia = Maloideae
genus = "Gillenia"
genus_authority = Moench
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = "Gillenia trifoliata"
"Gillenia stipulata"
synonyms = "Porteranthus" (Britton ex Small)

"Gillenia" (syn. "Porteranthus") is a genus of two species of perennial herbs in the Rosaceae family. Common names for plants in this genus include: Bowman's root, indian-physic, American ipecac. This genus is endemic to dry open woods with acidic soils in eastern North America. Both plants are subshrubs with exposed semi-woody branches and serrated leaves; the larger lower leaves are divided into palmately arranged leaflets. Plants bloom in May, June, or July; blooms are composed of five slender white petals which are loosely arranged and typically appear slightly twisted and limp as if they were wilted. The flowers mature into small capsules. These plants are often planted as ornamentals and used medicinally as an herbal remedy.

Classification and name

Traditionally this genus is considered a member of subfamily Spiraeoideae. However, this genus is sometimes included in the subfamily Maloideae (or Pomoideae). This is somewhat controversial since members of this subfamily typically include only woody pome bearing plants with a haploid chromosome number of 17, and "Gillenia" is herbaceous and has a haploid chromosome number of 9.

It is not totally clear whether "Gillenia" (Moench) or "Porteranthus" (Britton ex Small) is the best name to use for this genus. Most current North American scholarly sources use the latter synonym "Porteranthus" citing that "Gillenia" is already occupied by way of quasi-synonymy: "Gillena" was used by Michel Adanson as a synonym for "Clethra"cite journal|last=Hunt| first=D.R.| title=Proposal to Conserve 3325 Gillenia Moench (1802) [Rosaceae] against Gillena Adans. (1763) [Clethraceae] | journal=Taxon|volume=31|issue=3|month=August|year= 1982|pages=568 |doi=10.2307/1220698 ] (The ICBN rules that "similar names that can be confused" should be treated as synonyms). [ICBN Art. 53.3-5] A proposal to formally conserve "Gillenia" was mooted after a vote determined that "Gillena" was not validly published and that it and "Gillenia" were not likely to be confused. [cite journal
last = Voss | first = E. G. | year = 1986 | month = August | title = General Committee Report 1982-1985 | journal = Taxon | volume = 35 | issue = 3 | pages = 552 | doi =10.2307/1221916] Several sources continue to use "Porteranthus": Missouri Botanical Gardens 2007, [ [http://mobot.mobot.org/cgi-bin/search_vast?name=Porteranthus MBG W3TROPICOS Database: Porteranthus] ] Moerman 2003, [ [http://herb.umd.umich.edu/herb/search.pl?searchstring=Porteranthus Native American Ethnobotanical Database: Porteranthus] ] Gleason & Cronquist 1991, [Gleason & Cronquist 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada, 2nd. New York Botanical Garden. ISBN 0893273651.] and Magee and Ahles 1999. [Magee, D.W., & H. E. Ahles (1999). "Flora of the Northeast: A Manual of the Vascular Flora of New England and Adjacent New York", Boston: University of Massachusetts Press. ISBN 978-1558491892.] The Flora of North America volume containing this genus is not yet published. [ [http://www.efloras.org/flora_page.aspx?flora_id=1 Flora of North America] ]

pecies

The two similar species can be distinguished by their stipules. In "G. stipulata", the stipules at the base of the leaves, which are round and deeply toothed, persist throughout the life of the plant. In "G. trifoliata" the long slender stipules are quickly deciduous, this species also tends to have longer leaves and petals.

*"G. trifoliata" or "Porteranthus trifoliatus" -- mountain indian physic
*"G. stipulata" or "Porteranthus stipulatus" -- indian physic

References

External links

* [http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=GILLE2 USDA PLANTS Database: "Gillenia"]
* [http://www.pfaf.org/database/search_name.php?ALLNAMES=gillenia Plants for a Future database: "Gillenia"]