Sowerbaea

Taxobox


image_caption = "Sowerbaea laxiflora" at Drummond Nature Reserve, Western Australia
name = "Sowerbaea"
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis =
ordo =
familia = Laxmanniaceae
genus = "Sowerbaea"
genus_authority = Sm.
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = See text.

"Sowerbaea" is a small genus of perennial herbs which are native to Australia.

The genus is placed in the family Laxmanniaceae, it has also been included in Anthericaceae, Liliaceae and Lomandraceae. [cite web | url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?11314 | title=Genus: "Sowerbaea" Sm. | accessdate=2008-10-08 | work=Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN)|publisher=United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Area ]

Some species may have annual above ground growth, and its habit is erect or climbing. Leaves are alternate.The flowers are aggregated to form an inflorescence, this may be white or lilac and purple shades of pink.

Species include:

*"Sowerbaea alliacea" F.Muell.
*"Sowerbaea juncea" Andrews, commonly known as Rush Lily, Vanilla Plant, Chocolate Flower, or Chocolate Lily
*"Sowerbaea laxiflora" Lindl., also known as Purple Tassels or Vanilla Lily
*"Sowerbaea multicaulis" E.Pritz., also known as Many-stemmed Lliy
*"Sowerbaea subtilis" D.A.Stewart

The genus was first described by James Smith in 1798. The first species to be described, "Sowerbaea juncea" Andrews (1800), was in the "Botanists Repository", with a 1798 illustration of a specimen growing in England. The seeds of the species were cultivated to England, sometime shortly after the founding of the colony in New South Wales. Smith also described the species in the same year as Andrews, the nomination was superfluous.

The next species to be described was "Sowerbaea laxiflora" Lindl. (1839), this was found in Western Australia. Three of the five species are found in that state.

The genus is named after a botanical illustrator, James Sowerby.

References

*
*cite web |url=http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=gn&name=Sowerbaea|title= Sowerbaea |accessdate=2007-10-05 |format= |work= PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online |author = Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust
*cite web | url = http://asgap.org.au/s-jun.html | title = Sowerbaea juncea | accessdate = 2007-10-05 | author = | coauthors = | date = 22 February 2006 | work = | publisher = Association of Societies for Growing Australian Plants (ASGAP) | quote = Derivation of Name: Sowerbaea ....after James Sowerby (1757-1822), a botanical artist.