Ruyschia is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Marcgraviaceae.[1]

Ruyschia
A watercolour painting depicting a Ruyschia plant
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Marcgraviaceae
Subfamily: Noranteoideae
Genus: Ruyschia
Jacq.
Synonyms
  • Caracasia Szyszyl.
  • Vargasia Ernst

Its native range is from southern Mexico down to Tropical America. It is found in Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, the Leeward Islands, Mexico, Panamá, Peru, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela, Venezuelan Antilles and the Windward Islands.[1]

The genus name of Ruyschia is in honour of Frederik Ruysch (1638–1731), a Dutch botanist and anatomist. He is known for developing techniques for preserving anatomical specimens, which he used to create dioramas or scenes incorporating human parts.[2] It was first described and published in Enum. Syst. Pl. on page 2 in 1760.[1]

Known species

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According to Kew:[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Ruyschia Jacq. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  2. ^ Burkhardt, Lotte (2018). Verzeichnis eponymischer Pflanzennamen – Erweiterte Edition [Index of Eponymic Plant Names – Extended Edition] (pdf) (in German). Berlin: Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum, Freie Universität Berlin. doi:10.3372/epolist2018. ISBN 978-3-946292-26-5. Retrieved 1 January 2021.