''Centrosema'', the butterfly peas, is a genus of (mainly tropical) American
vine
A vine is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas, or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselves, for instance, when used in wicker work.Jackson; Benjamin; Da ...
s in the legume
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
(
Fabaceae
Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,[International Code of Nomen ...](_blank)
). It includes 44 species, which range through the tropical and warm-temperate Americas from the southern United States to northern Argentina.
Species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
include:
[
* '' Centrosema acutifolium''
* '' Centrosema angustifolium'' Benth.
* '' Centrosema arenarium'' Benth.
* '' Centrosema arenicola''
* '' Centrosema bellum''
* '' Centrosema bifidum''
* '' Centrosema brachypodum''
* '' Centrosema bracteosum''
* '' Centrosema brasilianum'' (L.) Benth.
* '' Centrosema capitatum''
* '']Centrosema carajasense
''Centrosema'', the butterfly peas, is a genus of (mainly tropical) American vines in the legume family (Fabaceae). It includes 44 species, which range through the tropical and warm-temperate Americas from the southern United States to northern A ...
''
* '' Centrosema coriaceum''
* '' Centrosema dasyanthum'' Benth.
* '' Centrosema fasciculatum''
* ''Centrosema grandiflorum
''Centrosema'', the butterfly peas, is a genus of (mainly tropical) American vines in the legume family (Fabaceae). It includes 44 species, which range through the tropical and warm-temperate Americas from the southern United States to northern A ...
''
* ''Centrosema grazielae
''Centrosema'', the butterfly peas, is a genus of (mainly tropical) American vines in the legume family (Fabaceae). It includes 44 species, which range through the tropical and warm-temperate Americas from the southern United States to northern A ...
''
* ''Centrosema haitense
''Centrosema'', the butterfly peas, is a genus of (mainly tropical) American vines in the legume family (Fabaceae). It includes 44 species, which range through the tropical and warm-temperate Americas from the southern United States to northern A ...
''
* ''Centrosema heptaphyllum
''Centrosema'', the butterfly peas, is a genus of (mainly tropical) American vines in the legume family (Fabaceae). It includes 44 species, which range through the tropical and warm-temperate Americas from the southern United States to northern A ...
''
* ''Centrosema heteroneurum
''Centrosema'', the butterfly peas, is a genus of (mainly tropical) American vines in the legume family (Fabaceae). It includes 44 species, which range through the tropical and warm-temperate Americas from the southern United States to northern A ...
''
* ''Centrosema jaraguaense
''Centrosema'', the butterfly peas, is a genus of (mainly tropical) American vines in the legume family (Fabaceae). It includes 44 species, which range through the tropical and warm-temperate Americas from the southern United States to northern A ...
''
* ''Centrosema kermesi
''Centrosema'', the butterfly peas, is a genus of (mainly tropical) American vines in the legume family (Fabaceae). It includes 44 species, which range through the tropical and warm-temperate Americas from the southern United States to northern A ...
''
* ''Centrosema latidens
''Centrosema'', the butterfly peas, is a genus of (mainly tropical) American vines in the legume family (Fabaceae). It includes 44 species, which range through the tropical and warm-temperate Americas from the southern United States to northern A ...
''
* ''Centrosema lucia-helenae
''Centrosema'', the butterfly peas, is a genus of (mainly tropical) American vines in the legume family (Fabaceae). It includes 44 species, which range through the tropical and warm-temperate Americas from the southern United States to northern A ...
''
* ''Centrosema macranthum
''Centrosema'', the butterfly peas, is a genus of (mainly tropical) American vines in the legume family (Fabaceae). It includes 44 species, which range through the tropical and warm-temperate Americas from the southern United States to northern A ...
'' Hoehne
* '' Centrosema macrocarpum''
* '' Centrosema molle''
* ''Centrosema pascuorum
''Centrosema'', the butterfly peas, is a genus of (mainly tropical) American vines in the legume family (Fabaceae). It includes 44 species, which range through the tropical and warm-temperate Americas from the southern United States to northern A ...
''
* '' Centrosema platycarpum''
* '' Centrosema plumieri'' (Turp. ex Pres.) Benth.
* ''Centrosema pubescens
''Centrosema'', the butterfly peas, is a genus of (mainly tropical) American vines in the legume family (Fabaceae). It includes 44 species, which range through the tropical and warm-temperate Americas from the southern United States to northern A ...
'' Benth.
* '' Centrosema rotundifolium''
* '' Centrosema sagittatum'' (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) Brandegee
* '' Centrosema schottii''
* '' Centrosema sericiflorum''
* '' Centrosema tapirapoanense''
* '' Centrosema teresae''
* '' Centrosema tetragonolobum''
* '' Centrosema triquetrum''
* ''Centrosema unifoliatum
''Centrosema'', the butterfly peas, is a genus of (mainly tropical) American vines in the legume family (Fabaceae). It includes 44 species, which range through the tropical and warm-temperate Americas from the southern United States to northern A ...
''
* ''Centrosema variifolium
''Centrosema'', the butterfly peas, is a genus of (mainly tropical) American vines in the legume family (Fabaceae). It includes 44 species, which range through the tropical and warm-temperate Americas from the southern United States to northern A ...
''
* '' Centrosema venosum''
* '' Centrosema vetulum''
* '' Centrosema vexillatum'' Benth.
* '' Centrosema virginianum''
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...
n caterpillar
Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths).
As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder ...
s that feed on butterfly peas include the two-barred flasher
''Telegonus fulgerator'', the two-barred flasher, is a species of spread-wing skipper butterfly in the family Hesperiidae which may constitute a possible cryptic species complex. It ranges all over the Americas, from the southern United States ...
(''Astraptes fulgerator''), occasionally recorded on '' C. macrocarpum'' and '' C. plumieri'' at least.[Hébert ''et al.'' (2004), Brower ''et al.'' (2006)]
Another plant referred to as butterfly pea from the same subtribe Clitoriinae is the related ''Clitoria ternatea
''Clitoria'' is a genus of mainly tropical and subtropical, insect-pollinated flowering pea vines.
Taxonomy Naming of the genus
This genus was named after the human clitoris, for the flowers bear a resemblance to the vulva. The first referenc ...
''. However it doesn't belong to the genus ''Centrosema''.
In Jamaica, it is known as Fee Fee and is usually seen at Christmas time. The flower is able to make a whistling sound hence children usually find it useful as a toy.
See also
* ''Clitoria
''Clitoria'' is a genus of mainly tropical and subtropical, insect-pollinated flowering pea vines.
Taxonomy Naming of the genus
This genus was named after the human clitoris, for the flowers bear a resemblance to the vulva. The first referenc ...
''
Footnotes
References
* Brower, Andrew V.Z. (2006): Problems with DNA barcodes for species delimitation: ‘ten species’ of ''Astraptes fulgerator'' reassessed (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae). ''Systematics and Biodiversity'' 4(2): 127–132. PDF fulltext
* Hébert, Paul D.N.; Penton, Erin H.; Burns, John M.; Janzen, Daniel H. & Hallwachs, Winnie (2004): Ten species in one: DNA barcoding reveals cryptic species in the semitropical skipper butterfly ''Astraptes fulgerator''. ''PNAS
''Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America'' (often abbreviated ''PNAS'' or ''PNAS USA'') is a peer-reviewed multidisciplinary scientific journal. It is the official journal of the National Academy of S ...
'' 101(41): 14812–14817.
PDF fulltextSupporting Appendices
* United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an executive department of the United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and producti ...
(USDA) (2007)
USDA Plants Profile: ''Centrosema''
Retrieved 2007-DEC-17.
Phaseoleae
Fabaceae genera
{{Phaseoleae-stub