Chamaecrista Explained

Chamaecrista is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family, Fabaceae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae. Members of the genus are commonly known as sensitive pea. Several species are capable of rapid plant movement. Unlike the related genera Cassia and Senna, members of Chamaecrista form root nodules.

Chamaecrista has 367 species, with a wide distribution – the Americas from Minnesota to northern Argentina, sub-Saharan Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and Iran, the Indian Subcontinent, Indochina, China, Korea, Japan, Malesia, New Guinea, and Australia.

Species

Chamaecrista comprises the following species, organized into sections, subsections, and series:[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Section Apoucouita Benth.

Series Apoucouita

Series Pteridophyllae

Section Absus DC. ex Colladon emend. Irwin & Barneby

Subsection Absus DC. ex ColladonSeries Absoideae

Series Adenophyllae

Series Andromedeae

Series Atroglandulosae

Series Bracteolatae

Series Catharticae

Series Confertae

Series Ericifoliae

Series Geminatae

Series Glutinosae

Series Gracillimae

Series Hassleranae

Series Hedysaroides

Series Incanae

Series Incurvatae

Series Lomatopodae

Series Lucidae

Series Microphyllae

Series Nigricantes

Series Ochnaceae

Series Oligospermae

Series Paniculatae

Series Pinifoliae

Series Rigidulae

As traditionally circumscribed here, Chamaecrista ser. Rigidulae is polyphyletic. However, the series is monophyletic if redefined to exclude C. brachyblepharis and C. ciliolata and include C. sincorana and C. botryoides (from series Microphyllae). The species in the series are all endemic to Brazil and can be divided geographically into two main lineages, one from the highlands of Goiás, and the second from the Espinhaço Range of Bahia and Minas Gerais.[6]

Series Secundae

Series Setosae

Series Spinulosae

Series Strictifoliae

Series Trachycarpae

Series Unijugae

Series Ursinae

Subsection Adenophyllum Irwin & Barneby

Subsection Baseophyllum (Colladon) Irwin & Barneby

Subsection Otophyllum Irwin & Barneby

Section Caliciopsis Irwin & Barneby

Section Chamaecrista Moench

Series Bauhinianae (Colladon) Irwin & Barneby

Series Chamaecrista Moench

Series Coriaceae (Bentham) Irwin & Barneby

Series Flexuosae Irwin & Barneby

Series Greggianae Irwin & Barneby

Series Prostratae (Bentham) Irwin & Bameby

Section Grimaldia (Schrank) Irwin & Barneby

Section Xerocalyx (Bentham) Irwin & Barneby

Incertae sedis

Species names with uncertain taxonomic status

The status of the following species is unresolved:

Notes and References

  1. Book: Irwin HS, Barneby RC . 1978 . Monographic Studies in Cassia (Leguminosae Caesalpinioideae). III. Sections Absus and Grimaldia . https://web.archive.org/web/20201128134549/http://antbase.org/ants/publications/nybg/Cassia%20Absus%20and%20Grimaldia%20NY-Botanical_gardens_Vol_30%20-%20Copy.pdf . dead . November 28, 2020 . Bronx, N.Y. . New York Botanical Garden . b1095237 . 9514341 . 978-0-89327-197-8 .
  2. Lock JM . 1988 . Cassia sens.lat. (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae) in Africa . . 43 . 2 . 333–342 . 10.2307/4113742 . 4113742. 1988KewBu..43..333L .
  3. Web site: ILDIS LegumeWeb entry for Chamaecrista . . International Legume Database & Information Service . Cardiff School of Computer Science & Informatics . 5 January 2017.
  4. Web site: GRIN species records of Chamaecrista . USDA . USDA . ARS . Agricultural Research Service . National Genetic Resources Program . Germplasm Resources Information Network—(GRIN) [Online Database] . National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland . 5 January 2017.
  5. Web site: The Plant List entry for Chamaecrista . 2013 . . . 5 January 2017.
  6. 10.1002/tax.12025 . Phylogeny and divergence time estimation of Chamaecrista ser. Rigidulae (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae) . 2019 . Souza . Alessandro Oliveira . Lewis . Gwilym Peter . Telles . Mariana Pires Campos . Silva . Marcos José . Taxon . 68 . 20–33 . 132043502 .