Menyanthes

Menyanthes
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Menyanthaceae
Genus: Menyanthes
L.
Species: M. trifoliata
Binomial name
Menyanthes trifoliata
L.
A bog-bean dominated habitat in Ayrshire, Scotland

Menyanthes is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the family Menyanthaceae containing the single species Menyanthes trifoliata. The name Menyanthes comes from the Greek words menyein, meaning "disclosing", and anthos, meaning "flower", in reference to the sequential opening of flowers on the inflorescence. The North American form is often referred to as M. trifoliata var. minor Michx. It is known in English by the common names bogbean[1] and buckbean.

Characteristics

Menyanthes trifoliata has a horizontal rhizome with alternate, trifoliate leaves. The inflorescence is an erect raceme of white flowers.

Menyanthes trifoliata occurs in fens and bogs in Asia, Europe, and North America. In eastern North America, it is considered to be a diagnostic fen species.[2] It sometimes creates big quagmires with its thick roots.

It has a characteristic strong and bitter taste, which can be used in schnapps.

References

  1. ↑ "BSBI List 2007" (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  2. ↑ Godwin, Kevin S.; Shallenberger, James P.; Leopold, Donald J.; Bedford, Barbara L. (2002). "Linking landscape properties to local hydrogeologic gradients and plant species occurrence in minerotrophic fens of New York State, USA: A Hydrogeologic Setting (HGS) framework". Wetlands. 22 (4): 722–37. doi:10.1672/0277-5212(2002)022[0722:LLPTLH]2.0.CO;2.
Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Buck-Bean.
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