Muehlenbeckia
Muehlenbeckia astonii
The wire bushes or Muehlenbeckien ( Muehlenbeckia ) are a genus of shrubs in the family buckwheat family. Representatives of the genus are found in New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand and South America.
Description
Wire shrubs are small, erect or prostrate, climbing, very densely branched, deciduous shrubs with thin dark branches. They are persistent and form rhizomes. Most small leaves are alternate and stalked. The stipules are also small. Wire shrubs are either dioecious, hermaphrodite flowers have, or hermaphrodite and unisexual flowers on a plant. The flowers are small, whitish green and inconspicuous. They are in short axillary clusters or spikes. The perianth is simple and deeply five-lobed. Male flowers usually have eight, rarely nine stamens with yellow to red dust bag. Female flowers form three short stylus. 2 to 3 mm wide, black or dark brown, wingless achenes As fruits triangular formed, which are enclosed by the fleshy perianth become.
The basic chromosome number.
Dissemination
Representatives of the genus are found in New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand and western South America.
System
The genus Muehlenbeckia is in the family of the buckwheat family ( Polygonaceae ) assigned to the subfamily Polygonoideae. The name of the genus is derived from the Alsatian physician and botanist Gustav Mill Beck ( 1798-1845 ). The genus 22 or 23 species are counted, including
- Muehlenbeckia astonii Petrie
- Muehlenbeckia australis ( G. Forst. ) Meisn. , The type species
- Schwarzfrüchtiger wire shrub ( Muehlenbeckia axillaris ( Hook. f ) Walp. )
- Muehlenbeckia complexa (A. Cunn. ) Meisn.
- Muehlenbeckia ephedroides ( Hook. f ) Hook. f
- Muehlenbeckia hastulata ( Sm ) I. M. Johnst. ( Syn: Muehlenbeckia chilensis Meisn. )
- Muehlenbeckia sagittifolia Meisn.
- Muehlenbeckia tamnifolia ( Kunth ) Meisn. ( Syn: Muehlenbeckia peruviana )
Use
Wire shrubs are cultivated for mass planting in rock gardens.