Blepharis is a genus of plant in family Acanthaceae. It contains around 128 species found in seasonally dry to arid habitats from Africa through Arabia to Southeast Asia.[1] In section Acanthodium, there are 13–15 species that use the C4 carbon fixation pathway. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that this pathway evolved up to three times independently in the genus over the last five million years.[2]

Blepharis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Acanthaceae
Subfamily: Acanthoideae
Tribe: Acantheae
Genus: Blepharis
Juss. (1789)
Synonyms[1]
  • Acanthodium Delile (1813)
  • Blepharacanthus Nees (1836)
  • Trichacanthus Zoll. & Moritzi (1845)

The genus is named after the Greek word βλεφαριϛ, which means eyelash. Missouri Botanical Garden

Species

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128 species are accepted.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Blepharis Juss. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  2. ^ Fisher, Amanda E.; McDade, Lucinda A.; Kiel, Carrie A.; Khoshravesh, Roxana; Johnson, Melissa A.; Stata, Matt; Sage, Tammy L.; Sage, Rowan F. (2015). "Evolutionary History of Blepharis (Acanthaceae) and the Origin of C4 Photosynthesis in Section Acanthodium". International Journal of Plant Sciences. 176 (8): 770–790. doi:10.1086/683011. ISSN 1058-5893.  
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