Mitella

Mitella
Mitella caulescens
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Saxifragaceae
Genus: Mitella
Tourn. ex L. (1753)
Species[1]
Synonyms[1]

Mitellopsis Meisn. (1838)

Mitella is a genus of flowering plants known as miterworts or bishop's caps. Mitella species are native to temperate and arctic North America and Asia.

Description

Mitella includes perennials growing from a scaly rhizome, bearing wide heart- or spade-shaped leaves near their bases and flowers with five petals in a long raceme or spike.

Etymology

The genus name means "little mitre", from Latin mitra with the diminutive suffix -ella, since the flowers are said to resemble bishop's headdresses. In Classical Latin use, however, mitella means "female headdress" or "sling".[2] Latin mitra comes from Greek mítrā "girdle", "headband", or "turban".[3]

Species

Four species and natural hybrids are accepted.[1]

  • Mitella diphylla L. – twoleaf miterwort
  • Mitella × inamii Ohwi & Okuyama
  • Mitella × intermedia Bruhin (M. diphylla × M. nuda)
  • Mitella nuda L. – naked miterwort (syn. Mitella prostrata – creeping bishop's cap)

Formerly placed here

  • Brewerimitella breweri (A.Gray) R.A.Folk & Y.Okuyama – Brewer's miterwort (as Mitella breweri A.Gray)
  • Brewerimitella ovalis (Greene) R.A.Folk & Y.Okuyama – coastal miterwort (as Mitella ovalis Greene)
  • Mitellastra caulescens (Nutt.) Howell – slightstemmed miterwort (as Mitella caulescens Nutt.)
  • Ozomelis diversifolia (Greene) Rydb. – angleleaf miterwort (as Mitella diversifolia)
  • Ozomelis stauropetala (Piper) Rydb. – smallflower miterwort (as Mitella stauropetala)
  • Ozomelis trifida (Graham) Rydb. – threepart miterwort (as Mitella trifida Graham)
  • Pectiantia pentandra (Hook.) Rydb. – fivestamen miterwort (as Mitella pentandra Hook.)

References

  1. 1 2 3 Mitella L. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  2. ↑ "mitella". Oxford English Dictionary (online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  3. ↑ μίτρα. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project
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