Callisia Explained

Callisia is a genus of flowering plants in the spiderwort family, Commelinaceae. Members of the genus are commonly known as roselings. It is native to the Western Hemisphere from the southern United States to Argentina.^{[1] [2] [3] [4]} The generic name is derived from the Greek word κάλλος (kallos), meaning "beauty."^[5]

Some members of Callisia may cause allergic reactions in pets (especially cats and dogs), characterised by red, itchy skin. Notable culprits are C. fragrans (inch plant) and C. repens (turtle vine).

Species

Callisia includes the following species:^{[1] [6]}

• Callisia ciliata Kunth – Panama, Colombia
• Callisia cordifolia (Sw.) E.S.Anderson & Woodson  - Florida Roseling – Central America, tropical Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Florida, Georgia
• Callisia filiformis (M.Martens & Galeotti) D.R.Hunt – central + southern Mexico, Central America, Lesser Antilles, Venezuela, northeastern Brazil
• Callisia fragrans (Lindl.) Woodson – Mexico; naturalized in Florida, Louisiana, Hawaii, West Indies, Morocco, Taiwan, Norfolk Island in Australia
• Callisia gentlei Matuda – southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras
• Callisia graminea (Small) G.Tucker  - Grassleaf roseling – southeastern United States from Florida to Virginia
• Callisia hintoniorum B.L.Turner – Nuevo León
• Callisia insignis C.B.Clarke – Mexico; naturalized in Venezuela
• Callisia laui (D.R.Hunt) D.R.Hunt – Guerrero, Oaxaca
• Callisia micrantha (Torr.) D.R.Hunt  - Littleflower roseling – Texas, Tamaulipas
• Callisia monandra (Sw.) J.A.Schultes & J.H.Schultes  - Cojite morado – widespread from northern Mexico + West Indies to Argentina
• Callisia multiflora (M.Martens & Galeotti) Standl. – central + southern Mexico, Central America
• Callisia navicularis (Ortgies) D.R.Hunt – Nuevo León, Veracruz, Tamaulipas, Puebla, San Luis Potosí
• Callisia ornata (Small) G.Tucker  - Florida scrub roseling – Georgia, Florida
• Callisia repens (Jacq.) L.  - Creeping inchplant – scattered locales in southern United States (Riverside County in California, Texas, Louisiana, Florida); widespread from Mexico + West Indies south to Argentina
• Callisia rosea (Vent.) D.R.Hunt  - Piedmont roseling – southeastern United States from Alabama to Maryland
• Callisia soconuscensis Matuda – Guatemala, southern Mexico
• Callisia tehuantepecana Matuda – Oaxaca
• Callisia warszewicziana (Kunth & C.D.Bouché) D.R.Hunt – Veracruz, Chiapas, Guatemala

Formerly placed here

• Neodonnellia grandiflora (Donn.Sm.) Rose (as C. grandiflora Donn.Sm.)^[6]

Notes and References

1. http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=223385 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
2. http://bonap.net/NAPA/TaxonMaps/Genus/County/Callisia Biota of North America Program 2013 county distribution maps
3. Davidse, G., M. Sousa Sánchez & A.O. Chater. 1994. Alismataceae a Cyperaceae. 6: i–xvi, 1–543. In G. Davidse, M. Sousa Sánchez & A.O. Chater (eds.) Fl. Mesoamer.. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, D. F.
4. Forzza, R. C. 2010. Lista de espécies Flora do Brasil Web site: Archived copy . 2015-08-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150906080403/http://floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br/2010/ . 2015-09-06 . . Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro
5. Book: Gledhill, D. . The Names of Plants . 4 . Cambridge University Press . 978-0-521-86645-3 . 2008 . 85.
6. Web site: GRIN Species Records of Callisia . Germplasm Resources Information Network . United States Department of Agriculture . 2011-01-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150924095830/http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?1899 . 2015-09-24 . dead .