Zaluzianskya Explained

Zaluzianskya is a genus of flowering plants now regarded as a member of the Scrophulariaceae, the figwort family. The genus is endemic to Southern Africa and includes some described sixty species.[1]

Taxonomy

Zaluzianskya was named in honour of Adam Zalužanský ze Zalužan, 1558–1613, a physician of Prague, author of Methodus Herbariae, 1592.[2] Zaluziansky seems to have been a deservedly prominent botanist in his day, with some views on taxonomy quite advanced for his time.[3]

Pollinators

Superficially the shape of the flowers is strikingly phlox-like, hence the designation 'night phlox', for their evening fragrance. The fragrance after dark suggests that in nature the species in question are pollinated by moths, whereas day-pollinated species often have little or no obvious scent. Research is in progress on the ecological and evolutionary relationships between some members of the genus and specialist long-tongued pollinators, particularly night flying hawk moths (family Sphingidae) and flies in the families Nemestrinidae, Tabanidae, and Bombyliidae.[4] [5] [6] Day-flying hawk moths, such as the genus Macroglossum (hummingbird hawk moths) also seem to be significant pollinators of many species of Zaluzianskya.

Cultivation

Zaluzianskya species have not been of horticultural significance until recently. Zaluzianskya rubrostellata is cultivated as an annual herbaceous ornamental plant.[7]

Species

Species include:

Notes and References

  1. Arnold T.H., de Wet B.C. (Eds), Plants of Southern Africa: Names & Distribution, Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa No. 62, Pub.National Botanical Institute, South Africa.1993
  2. Chittenden, Fred J. Ed., Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening, Oxford 1951
  3. Debus, Allen G., Man and nature in the Renaissance, Cambridge 1978
  4. Picker, M., Griffiths, C., Weaving, A. Field Guide to the Insects of South Africa, Struik 2003. www.struik.co.za
  5. Bruce Anderson, Steven D. Johnson, J. Kohn, The Geographical Mosaic Of Coevolution In A Plant–Pollinator Mutualism, Evolution, Jan 2008: Vol. 62, Issue 1, pgs 220-225
  6. S. D. Johnson, . J. Edwards, . Carbutt and C. Potgieter. Specialization for hawkmoth and long-proboscid fly pollination in Zaluzianskya. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, Vol 138 pp 17–27 March 2002
  7. http://blanketwrap.wordpress.com/2011/02/01/night-phlox-%E2%80%93-zaluzianskya-rubrostellata/ Blanket Wrap:Zaluzianskya rubrostellata
  8. Web site: Zaluzianskya pumila (Benth.) Walp. Plants of the World Online Kew Science . 2022-04-14 . Plants of the World Online . en.

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