Parochetus

Butterfly Blooms of Parochetus communis

Parochetus is a plant genus in the subfamily of the Fabaceae ( Faboideae ) within the legume family ( Fabaceae ). It contains only two species that are native to Africa and Asia.

Description

In the two Parochetus species are perennial herbaceous plants. The stems are prostrate to ascending. You sometimes rooting at the nodes ( more nodes ), and sometimes form tubers.

The alternate and spirally on the stem are arranged distributed leaves are long-petiolate and three parts. You have full leaves to toothed leaflets that are back - cordate with narrow to wide wedge base. The two stipules are free or fused at her with the petioles.

The Blütenstandsschäfte are erect or reflexed in fruit ripening. The flowers are individually up to third in pendent, doldigen inflorescences. About bracts are the flower stalks. The hermaphrodite flowers are zygomorphic and fünfzählig. Of the five fused sepals, the upper two are almost grown together along their entire length. The top five blue, rarely white petals are not fused with the stamens. The inverted - ovate to oblong flag is nailed. The two wings falcate -oblong and auriculate. The broadly triangular Crescent boat is shorter than the wings. There are ten stamens present. The single hairless carpel contains many ovules.

The oblong- ovate legume is longer than the calyx and contains many seeds. The brown, kidney-shaped seeds are often spotted and have a lateral, small, round hilum.

Dissemination

Parochetus africanus is in eastern Africa (Zambia, Burundi, Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Ethiopia), Parochetus communis in central and southern Asia (Bhutan, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, northern Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, China and Vietnam) spread.

Systematics and botanical history

The genus belongs to the tribe Parochetus Trifolieae in the subfamily Faboideae. It was first described in 1825 by Francis Buchanan - Hamilton, the type species is Parochetus communis. The botanical genus name Parochetus is composed of the Greek words para for next and ochetós for " ditch, channel, channel " together, what this refers, Buchanan - Hamilton has not mentioned.

The genus Parochetus includes only two types:

• Parochetus africanus
• Parochetus communis This type is sometimes called Blue Oxalis, butterfly clover or clover and blue occasionally used as a ground cover ornamental plant.

Swell

• Zhi Wei & Michael A. Vincent: Trifolieae in the Flora of China, Volume 10, 2010, 557: Parochetus - Online. (Section Description, distribution and systematics)