Barclaya is a genus of eight species of flowering plants of the family Nymphaeaceae. Barclaya are aquatic plants native to tropical Asia. The genus was named in honour of the American-born English brewer and patron of science Robert Barclay.
Description Vegetative characteristics Its species are perennial, aquatic,Watson, L., & Dallwitz, M. J. (n.d.). Barclayaceae (Endl.) Li. The Families of Angiosperms. Retrieved December 6, 2024, from https://www.delta-intkey.com/angio/www/barclaya.htm rhizomatous herbs with slender, horizontal, villous-pubescent, creeping or tuberous, often stoloniferous rhizomes. The petiolate leaves are mostly submerged and do not float on the water surface. The linear, oblong, or suborbicular lamina with a cordate baseCook, C. D. K. (1974). Water Plants of the World: A Manual for the Identification of the Genera of Freshwater Macrophytes. p. 335. Niederlande: Junk. has an entire margin.
Generative characteristics The solitary, pedunculate, sumberged or emerged, bisexual, often cleistogamous flowers have 4–5 hypogynous outer tepals, and 8–20 inner tepals, which are basally fused to a tube.Warner, K. A., Rudall, P. J., & Frohlich, M. W. (2008). Differentiation of Perianth Organs in Nymphaeales. Taxon, 57(4), 1096–1109. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27756767 The gynoecium consists of 7–12 fused carpels with curved stigmatic appendages. The globular, irregularly dehiscent 1.0–1.5(–2.0) cm wide fruit, which is enclosed in persistent sepals and petals,Forest Herbarium & Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. (n.d.). Barclaya Wall. Flora of Thailand. Retrieved December 6, 2024, from https://botany.dnp.go.th/eflora/floragenus.html?factsheet=Barclaya bears globose, echinate seeds. Cytology The diploid chromosome count is 2n = 36.
Taxonomy The genus Barclaya Wall. was first published by Nathaniel Wallich in 1827 with Barclaya longifolia as the type species. Though Hydrostemma is a name that is older than the name Barclaya, having been published 6 months earlier, the name Barclaya has been "conserved" as it was deemed being much better known than Hydrostemma.
Species Flower Species Distribution Barclaya hirta Indonesia, Sumatera Barclaya kunstleri Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore Barclaya longifolia Wall. India, Andaman Islands, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Peninsular Malaysia Barclaya motleyi Hook.f. Thailand, peninsular Malaysia, Sumatera, Riau Islands, Sarawak, Kalimantan, Papua, and Papua New Guinea Barclaya panchorensis Komala Malaya Peninsula Barclaya rotundifolia M.Hotta Sarawak, Johore, Malaysia Barclaya rugosa Sofiman Othman & N.Jacobsen Malaya Peninsula Barclaya wellyi Wongso, Ipor & N.Jacobsen Sumatra
Rejected classification The separate family Barclayaceae H.L.Li was published in 1955. It has been believed to be separate, due to the extended perianth tube (combined sepals and petals) arising from the top of the ovary and by stamens that are joined basally. However, morphological and genetic studies support the position of Barclaya in the family Nymphaeaceae. A separate order Barclayales Doweld was proposed in 2001.
The accepted placement of Barclaya is within the family Nymphaeaceae of the order Nymphaeales.
Habitat Within tropical rainforests, Barclaya develops alongside streams or at their fringes. The escalating deforestation across Southeast Asia is causing the habitats to become clouded, endangering Barclaya.
Conservation The IUCN conservation status of Barclaya longifolia is least concern (LC). The IUCN conservation status of Barclaya motleyi is data deficient (DD).
Use In Laos, Barclaya longifolia is used for its edible leaves.Vidal, J. (1964). Les Plantes utiles du Laos (suite). Journal d'agriculture traditionnelle et de botanique appliquée, 11(1), 18-50.
Cultivation Barclaya longifolia is a popular aquarium plant. Under high light conditions the attractive, upright foliage displays green colouration. Under lower light conditions brownish foliage is produced. It easily sets seed in cultivation, if pollen is deposited on the stigma.
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