Neviusia

Neviusia alabamensis

The Neviusia are a genus of flowering plants of the rose family ( Rosaceae ).

Description

Neviusia are unbestachelte, deciduous shrubs. Its leaves are simple, non -blown Stipules are small.

The inflorescence is a short, terminal raceme, the hermaphrodite, fivefold, attractive flowers are on long stalks, petals are absent or greatly reduced, the sepals are imbricated, are long and deciduous leaf-like, green to greenish white and cut at the edge, an outer cup missing. The flower cup is saucer - to cup-shaped.

The numerous stamens are white. A discus is not recognizable. There are two to five non- adult stamp. The scars are linear and one side mounted on the terminal Stylodium. There is only one ovule, the fruit is an achene with a thin, fleshy mesocarp, endocarp is crusty, it takes only a seed, the endosperm is very thin.

Dissemination

The genus is found in the western and southeastern United States, on slopes and river banks, it grows in shaded to open sites, often on limestone soils.

System

The genus was first described in 1858 by Asa Gray. It is classified in the tribe Kerriae, Supertribus Kerriodae the subfamily Spiraeoideae. There are two types:

• Neviusia alabamensis, widespread in the southeast of North America
• Neviusia cliftonii, endemic on Mount Shasta, northern California

The genus is fossil since the Eocene known Neviusia dunthornei from the Okanogan Highlands of British Columbia is very similar to N. cliftonii.

Evidence

• C. Kalkman: Rosaceae. In: Klaus Kubitzki (ed.): The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants - Volume VI - Flowering Plants - Dicotyledons - Celastrales, Oxalidales, Rosales, Cornales, Ericales. Springer -Verlag, Berlin, 2004, pp. 359, ISBN 978-3-540-06512-8