Mecardonia (axilflower) is a genus of herbaceous plants in the family Plantaginaceae. 31 species have been described,Mecardonia on PlantList of which 12 are accepted. Its distribution is predominantly in South America, and South East United States, including Florida Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants: Mecardonia The Institute for Regional Conservation and AlabamaGardening in the Coastal Southeast Alabama Plant Atlas: Mecardonia but may be found as far north as Virginia. Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora(see map)Map of distribution Five species are found in ArgentinaAlderete, L.; Mori, M.; Kato, A.; Escandón, A.. Establishment of an in vitro micropropagation protocol for Mecardonia tenella. Electronic Journal of Biotechnology, North America, 915 06 2006. and three in the US. Adjoa Richardson Ahedor. Systematics of the Mecardonia acuminata (tribe Gratioleae, Plantaginaceae) complex of southeastern USA
Description They are herbaceous procumbent glabrous plants. They are mostly blackened when they are dry. Their stems are 5–40 cm in length and they have 4-alate leaves. Ovate leaves 7–25 mm in length and 3–16 mm wide, with a crenate edge; petiolate. Solitary axillary flowers, pedicles 8-20 (-26) mm in length, basally bibracteolate; 5-lobed calyx, with unequal lobes, more or less free to the base, imbricate, the adaxial lobe widely lanceate to ovate, 5–9.5 mm long and 3–6 mm wide, slightly accrescent, the 2 middle lobes longer and overlapping, the 2 abaxial lobes nearly the same size as the adaxial and overlapping the middle lobes; 5-lobed corolla, 7–8 mm long, yellow with purple at the throat, bearded at the mouth; 4 fertile stamens. Ovoid fruit capsule, 5–7 mm long, loculicidal; ovoid, reticulated seeds.
Taxonomy The genus was described by Ruiz & Pav., published in Florae Peruvianae, et Chilensis Prodromus 95. 1794. Forzza, R. C. et al. 2010. 2010 Lista de espécies Flora do Brasil. The type species is: Mecardonia procumbens Ruiz & Pav. The genus is named after Antonio Meca y Cardona, who founded the botanical gardens in Barcelona, in 1784.Barcelona: Pel medi ambient. Universitat GardensIdárraga-Piedrahita, A., R. D. C. Ortiz, R. Callejas Posada & M. Merello. (eds.) 2011. Fl. Antioquia: Cat. 2: 9–939. Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín. D. Miguel Colmeiro (1858). Mecardonia. La Botánica y los botánicos de la Península Hispano-Lusitana- Estudios Bibliográficoa y Biográficos. Madrid:Imprenta Rivadeneyra.
Rossow (1987) in his taxonomic revision of the genus, recognized ten species. A new species, M kamogawae, was identified in Argentina by Greppi and Hagiwara (2011).
Cultivation Sold as an ornamental garden flower, such as Mecardonia Magic Carpet Yellow, as annuals in colder areas.
Species Mecardonia acuminata (Walter) Small. Mecardonia acuminata acuminata Mecardonia acuminata peninsularis Mecardonia acuminata microphylla. Mecardonia berroi Marchesi Mecardonia caespitosa (Cham.) Pennell Mecardonia exilis (Brandegee) Pennell Mecardonia flagellaris (Cham. & Schltdl.) Rossow Mecardonia grandiflora (Benth.) Pennell Mecardonia herniarioides (Cham.) Pennell Mecardonia procumbens (Mill.) Small Mecardonia pubescens Rossow Mecardonia serpylloides (Cham. & Schltdl.) Pennell Mecardonia tenella (Cham. & Schltdl.) Pennell
References
Sources Rossow, R. A. 1987. Revisión del género Mecardonia (Scrophulariaceae). Candollea 42: 431–474. Cappellari, S. C., Harter-Marques, B., Aumeier, P. and Engels, W. (2009), Mecardonia tenella (Plantaginaceae) Attracts Oil-, Perfume-, and Pollen-Gathering Bees in Southern Brazil. Biotropica, 41: 721–729. doi: 10.1111/j.1744-7429.2009.00529.x Krishne Gowda, M Magaraj. Embryological studies in Mecardonia procumbens (Miller) small. Proceedings: Plant Sciences February 1983, Volume 92, Issue 1, pp 5-18 Kaul, M. L. H. Cytogenetical Studies on Ecological Races of Mecardonia dianthera (SW) Pennell. Cytologia 34.2 (1969): 178-187. Julián A. Greppi, Juan C. Hagiwara. UNA NUEVA ESPECIE DE MECARDONIA (PLANTAGINACEAE). Darwiniana Vol 49, No 1 (2011) p. 43 Barringer, K. & W. Burger. 2000. Family 193. Scrophulariaceae. In: W. Burger (ed.), Flora Costaricensis. Fieldiana: Botany, n.s. 41: 1–69. Nelson, C. H. 2008. Cat. Pl. Vasc. Honduras 1–1576. Stevens, W. D., C. Ulloa Ulloa, A. Pool & O. M. Montiel Jarquin. 2001. Flora de Nicaragua. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 85: i–xlii,. Tropicos: Mecardonia
External links
Galapagos Species Checklist: Mecardonia procumbens PPP-Index Search for Mecardonia.