Ellisiophyllum Explained

Ellisiophyllum is a monotypic genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Plantaginaceae.^[1] It contains a single species, Ellisiophyllum pinnatum (Wall. ex Benth.) Makino ^[2]

Its native range is the central Himalayas to New Guinea. It is found in central and southern China, the central and eastern Himalayas, Japan, Nepal, New Guinea, Philippines and Taiwan.^[2]

Its genus name of Ellisiophyllum is in honour of John Ellis (1710–1776), a British linen merchant and naturalist,^[3] and phyllum meaning leaf. The specific epithet Latin: [[:wikt:pinnatum|pinnata]] is from the Latin meaning "feather-like", referring to the leaves.^[4]

It was first published and described in Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) Vol.20 on page 91 in 1906.^[2]

Three subdivisions are accepted:

• Ellisiophyllum pinnatum subsp. bhutanense - eastern Himalayas
• Ellisiophyllum pinnatum subsp. pinnatum – central and eastern Himalayas, central and southern China, Taiwan, Philippines, and New Guinea
• Ellisiophyllum pinnatum var. reptans – Japan (western Honshu and Shikoku)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Ellisiophyllum Maxim. Plants of the World Online Kew Science . Plants of the World Online . 15 May 2021 . en.
2. Web site: Ellisiophyllum pinnatum (Wall. ex Benth.) Makino Plants of the World Online Kew Science . Plants of the World Online . 6 September 2021 . en.
3. Book: Quattrocchi, Umberto . CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names, Volume II, D–L . CRC Press . Boca Raton, Florida . 2000 . 978-0-8493-2676-9.
4. Book: Lewis, Charlton . An Elementary Latin Dictionary . Oxford University Press . Oxford . 1891 . 9780199102051.