Capraria Explained

Capraria is a genus of flowering plants in the family Scrophulariaceae.^[1] It includes seven species native to the tropical Americas, ranging from Mexico through Central America, the Caribbean Islands, and northern South America to northern Argentina. It is sometimes placed in the families Gratiolaceae, Plantaginaceae, or Veronicaceae. The name is derived from the Latin word caprarius, meaning "pertaining to goats." This refers to goats being one of the few herbivores that will graze on the plants.^[2]

Species

Seven species are accepted.

• Capraria biflora L.  - Goatweed
• Capraria frutescens
• Capraria integerrima
• Capraria integrifolia
• Capraria mexicana Moric. ex Benth.  - Tamaulipan tea^[3]
• Capraria peruviana
• Capraria saxifragifolia

Formerly placed here

• Lindernia crustacea (L.) F.Muell. (as C. crustacea L.)
• Leucospora multifida (Michx.) Nutt. (as C. multifida Michx.)^[3]

Notes and References

1. Etelvina . Gándara . Victoria Sosa . Testing the monophyly and position of the North American shrubby desert genus Leucophyllum (Scrophulariaceae: Leucophylleae) . Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society . 171 . 3 . 508–518 . March 2013 . 10.1111/j.1095-8339.2012.01327.x. free .
2. Book: Austin, Daniel F. . Florida Ethnobotany . CRC Press . 2004 . 978-0-8493-2332-4 . 261–262.
3. Web site: GRIN Species Records of Capraria . Germplasm Resources Information Network . United States Department of Agriculture . 2011-10-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150924095904/http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?2053 . 2015-09-24 . dead .