Linnaea

Linnaea

Taxobox
name = Twinflower



image_width = 240px
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Dipsacales
familia = Caprifoliaceae (Linnaeaceae)
genus = "Linnaea"
genus_authority = Gronov.
species = "L. borealis"
binomial = "Linnaea borealis"
binomial_authority = L.

"Linnaea borealis", commonly known as Twinflower (sometimes written twin flower) is a woodland subshrub, treated either in the family Caprifoliaceae, or sometimes in its own family Linnaeaceae. The stems are slender, pubescent and prostrate, growing to 20-40 cm long, with opposite evergreen rounded oval leaves 3-10 mm long and 2-7 mm broad. The flowering stems curve erect, to 4-8 cm tall, leafless except at the base; the flowers are paired, pendulous, 7-12 mm long, pale pink with a five-lobed corolla.

Its common name is from the paired flowers. It is one of few species to be named after Carolus Linnaeus, the naming having been formally made by Linnaeus' teacher, Jan Frederik Gronovius. It is said to have been Linnaeus' favourite plant; he took the flower as his own personal symbol when he was raised to the Swedish nobility in 1757. Of it, Linnaeus said "Linnaea" was named by the celebrated Gronovius and is a plant of Lapland, lowly, insignificant, disregarded, flowering but for a brief time - from Linnaeus, who resembles it".

It has a circumpolar distribution in moist subarctic to cool temperate forests, extending further south at high altitudes in mountains, in Europe south to the Alps, in Asia south to northern Japan, and North America south to northern California and Arizona in the west, and Tennessee in the Appalachian Mountains in the east.

It is the only species in its genus, but there are three recognised subspecies:
*"Linnaea borealis" subsp. "borealis" - Europe
*"Linnaea borealis" subsp. "americana" - North America
*"Linnaea borealis" subsp. "longiflora" - Asia

The flower is the provincial emblem of Småland in Sweden, Linnaeus' home province.

In Great Britain, the twinflower grows in mainly open pine woodlands in Scotland and northernmost England. Foresters consider this plant to be an indicator species of ancient woodlands, often found in association with Creeping Lady's Tresses. It is listed as "nationally scarce". It is found in about 50 sites around the country, with most situated in the woods around the Cairngorms; the southernmost locations are four sites in Northumberland and one in County Durham. The sparseness of the sites is responsible for the continued decline of the flower in the country.

The twinflower has given its name to the popular Swedish feminine given name Linnéa or "Linnea" (pronounced|linéːa).

References

*"The Linnaeus Link Project" in the spring 2005 edition of "Nature First", the magazine for Natural History Museum members.
*"Species and habitat conservation" from Plantlife.org.uk [http://www.plantlife.org.uk/html/species_and_conservation/species_and_conservation_bfb_casestudies.htm#twinflower] and [http://www.plantlife.org.uk/html/scotland/Scotland3yearspage2.htm#twinflower]
* Twinflower species profile [http://www.treesforlife.org.uk/tfl.twinflower.html]


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Linnaea — steht für:: Linnaea borealis, eine Pflanzenart (8898) Linnaea, ein Hauptgürtelasteroid Linnaea (Zeitschrift), eine von 1826 bis 1882 erschienene botanische Zeitschrift Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsklärung zur Unter …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Linnaea — n. A genus with only one species, the twinflower. Syn: genus {Linnaea}. [WordNet 1.5] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Linnaea — Gronov., Gattung der Kaprifoliazeen, aufrechte Sträucher oder niederliegende Pflänzchen mit ungeteilten, ganzrandigen oder gesägten Blättern, Blüten mit kugelig eiförmiger oder verlängerter Kelchröhre und röhrig trichterförmiger oder glockiger… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Linnaea — Gronov., Pflanzengattg. der Kaprifoliazeen, niederliegende immergrüne Sträuchlein der nördl. Hemisphäre. L. boreālis Gronov., mit rotgestreiften, duftenden Blüten, findet sich auch in Norddeutschland und den Alpen …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Linnaea — Linnée boréale Linnée boréale …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Linnaea —   Linnaea …   Wikipedia Español

  • Linnaea — noun one species: twinflower • Syn: ↑genus Linnaea • Hypernyms: ↑asterid dicot genus • Member Holonyms: ↑Caprifoliaceae, ↑family Caprifoliaceae, ↑honeysuckle …   Useful english dictionary

  • Linnaea L. — Род 245. Линнея (Сем. Caprifoliaceae – Жимолостные) 474. Linnaea borealis L. – Линнея северная …   Флора Центрально-лесного государственного заповедника

  • Linnaea — ID 47908 Symbol Key LINNA Common Name twinflower Family Caprifoliaceae Category Dicot Division Magnoliophyta US Nativity N/A US/NA Plant Yes State Distribution AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, IA, ID, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MT, ND, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR …   USDA Plant Characteristics

  • Linnaea borealis — Lin*n[ae] a bo re*a lis (l[i^]n*n[=e] [.a] b[=o] r[ e]*[=a] l[i^]s) n. [NL. Linnaeus Linn[ae]an + L. borealis northern.] (Bot.) The twin flower which grows in cold northern climates. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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