Byblis (plant)
| Byblis | |
|---|---|
| Byblis liniflora | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Byblidaceae |
| Genus: | Byblis |
| Species | |
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See text. |
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Byblis ( /ˈbɪblɨs/) is a small genus of carnivorous plants, sometimes termed the rainbow plants for the attractive appearance of their mucilage-covered leaves in bright sunshine. Native to western Australia, it is the only genus in the family Byblidaceae. The first species in the genus was described by the English botanist Richard Anthony Salisbury in 1808. Seven species are now recognized (see below).
Byblis species look very similar to Drosera and Drosophyllum, but are distinguished by their zygomorphic flowers, with five curved stamens off to one side of the pistil. These genera are in fact not closely related; modern classifications place Byblis in the Lamiales, while the sundews and Drosophyllum are now placed in the Caryophyllales.
Read more about Byblis (plant): Plant Characteristics, Distribution and Habitat, Environmental Status, Carnivorous or Protocarnivorous, Systematics, Paleobotany, Etymology