Melasphaerula Explained

Melasphaerula is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, first described as a genus in 1803. There is only one known species, Melasphaerula graminea, native to Namibia and the Cape Province in South Africa.^[1]

The genus name is derived from the Greek words melas, meaning "black", and sphaerulos, meaning "small sphere".^[2]

Some sources use the name Melasphaerula parviflora for the species, not accepting Melasphaerula graminea.^{[3] [4]}

Notes and References

1. http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=323761 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
2. Book: Manning, John . Goldblatt, Peter . The Iris Family: Natural History & Classification . Timber Press . Portland, Oregon. 142–44 . 2008. 978-0-88192-897-6.
3. Innes, C. (1985). The World of Iridaceae: 1-407. Holly Gare International Ltd., Ashington
4. Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) (2003). Plants of Southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14.: i-vi, 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria