Sherardia
Encyclopedia
Sherardia is a monotypic
genus containing a single species, Sherardia arvensis (or Field Madder), which is a flowering plant
in the Rubiaceae
family
. It is native to Europe, northern Africa and southwest Asia. Sherardia arvensis is closely related to the bedstraws (genus Galium
). It is mainly noted as a weed but has sometimes found use as a dye plant.
with trailing and upright stems growing up to 40cm long, having a square cross-section. The rough pointed bristly leaves of about 1cm in length are in whorls
of four to six (normally six at the ends of the shoots, but four nearer the root).
The tiny pale lilac or pink flowers are approximately 3mm in diameter and have a long tube, with only the end part of the four petals free. The flowers grow in "heads" of two or three together in an involucral structure formed out of a ring of six bracts.
The fruit are dry and about 3mm long with two lobes giving rise to the two seeds (nutlets
).
The four-angled stems with whorls of bristly leaves and tiny flowers are reminiscent of the Bedstraws
and other related Rubiaceae
, but Sherardia is distinguished by its mauve/pink flowers which have a long tube, and which only in this case are in heads.
.
in 1736 and also appeared in his masterwork Species Plantarum
in 1753. The genus was named in memory of the prominent English botanist William Sherard
(1659–1728).
The Latin epithet arvensis means that it is found in fields. It is called Field Madder because of its resemblance to Madder (Rubia tinctorum
), which is a better known dye plant of the same botanical tribe.
A second species of the same genus, Sherardia orientalis Boiss. & Hohen., is sometimes referred to, notably in ITIS
, but according to the USDA species list, this is a nomen nudum
and it actually refers to Asperula orientalis
Boiss. & Hohen.
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus containing a single species, Sherardia arvensis (or Field Madder), which is a flowering plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
in the Rubiaceae
Rubiaceae
The Rubiaceae is a family of flowering plants, variously called the coffee family, madder family, or bedstraw family. The group contains many commonly known plants, including the economically important coffee , quinine , and gambier , and the horticulturally valuable madder , west indian jasmine ,...
family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
. It is native to Europe, northern Africa and southwest Asia. Sherardia arvensis is closely related to the bedstraws (genus Galium
Galium
Galium is a large genus of annual and perennial herbaceous plants in the family Rubiaceae, with 617 known species occurring in the temperate zones of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Most species are known as bedstraw. G...
). It is mainly noted as a weed but has sometimes found use as a dye plant.
Description
It is an annual plantAnnual plant
An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...
with trailing and upright stems growing up to 40cm long, having a square cross-section. The rough pointed bristly leaves of about 1cm in length are in whorls
Whorl (botany)
In botany, a whorl is an arrangement of sepals, petals, leaves, or branches in which all the parts are attached at the same point and surround or wrap around the stem.There are four whorls in a general flower...
of four to six (normally six at the ends of the shoots, but four nearer the root).
The tiny pale lilac or pink flowers are approximately 3mm in diameter and have a long tube, with only the end part of the four petals free. The flowers grow in "heads" of two or three together in an involucral structure formed out of a ring of six bracts.
The fruit are dry and about 3mm long with two lobes giving rise to the two seeds (nutlets
Pyrena
Pyrena or pyrene is the name for a nutlet resembling a seed, or the kernel of a drupe or drupelet....
).
The four-angled stems with whorls of bristly leaves and tiny flowers are reminiscent of the Bedstraws
Galium
Galium is a large genus of annual and perennial herbaceous plants in the family Rubiaceae, with 617 known species occurring in the temperate zones of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Most species are known as bedstraw. G...
and other related Rubiaceae
Rubiaceae
The Rubiaceae is a family of flowering plants, variously called the coffee family, madder family, or bedstraw family. The group contains many commonly known plants, including the economically important coffee , quinine , and gambier , and the horticulturally valuable madder , west indian jasmine ,...
, but Sherardia is distinguished by its mauve/pink flowers which have a long tube, and which only in this case are in heads.
Importance
This is a common weed of fields, pasture, grassland, and disturbed areas. The roots can be used as a red dye but this plant is considered inferior to true MadderRubia tinctorum
Rubia tinctorum, the common madder or dyer's madder, is a plant species in the genus Rubia.The plant's roots contain several polyphenolic compounds like 1,3-Dihydroxyanthraquinone , 1,4-Dihydroxyanthraquinone , 1,2,4-Trihydroxyanthraquinone and 1,2-dihydroxyanthraquinone...
.
Taxonomy
The species and genus were described by Linnaeus in Hortus CliffortianusHortus Cliffortianus
The Hortus Cliffortianus is a work of early botanical literature published in 1738.The work was a collaboration between Carl Linnaeus and Georg Dionysius Ehret, financed by George Clifford in 1735-1736. Clifford, a wealthy Amsterdam banker was a keen botanist with a large herbarium and governor of...
in 1736 and also appeared in his masterwork Species Plantarum
Species Plantarum
Species Plantarum was first published in 1753, as a two-volume work by Carl Linnaeus. Its prime importance is perhaps that it is the primary starting point of plant nomenclature as it exists today. This means that the first names to be considered validly published in botany are those that appear...
in 1753. The genus was named in memory of the prominent English botanist William Sherard
William Sherard
William Sherard was an English botanist. Next to John Ray, he was considered to be one of the outstanding English botanists of his day.-Life:...
(1659–1728).
The Latin epithet arvensis means that it is found in fields. It is called Field Madder because of its resemblance to Madder (Rubia tinctorum
Rubia tinctorum
Rubia tinctorum, the common madder or dyer's madder, is a plant species in the genus Rubia.The plant's roots contain several polyphenolic compounds like 1,3-Dihydroxyanthraquinone , 1,4-Dihydroxyanthraquinone , 1,2,4-Trihydroxyanthraquinone and 1,2-dihydroxyanthraquinone...
), which is a better known dye plant of the same botanical tribe.
A second species of the same genus, Sherardia orientalis Boiss. & Hohen., is sometimes referred to, notably in ITIS
Itis
Itis may refer to* Integrated Taxonomic Information System, a partnership designed to provide consistent and reliable information on the taxonomy of biological species...
, but according to the USDA species list, this is a nomen nudum
Nomen nudum
The phrase nomen nudum is a Latin term, meaning "naked name", used in taxonomy...
and it actually refers to Asperula orientalis
Asperula orientalis
Asperula orientalis is a species of flowering plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is found from Turkey to western Syria and Iran. It is often used as an ornamental plant.-External links:* **...
Boiss. & Hohen.