''Eryngium ebracteatum'' Lam., the burnet-flowered sea holly, is a

herbaceous perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

native to damp grasslands in South America. The species is occasionally cultivated as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or ''garden plants'' are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars th ...

Etymology

The

specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

'ebracteatum' is derived from the Latin 'e' without and 'bracteatus' bracts. This is notable as the most frequently cultivated

Old World The "Old World" () is a term for Afro-Eurasia coined by Europeans after 1493, when they became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia in the Eastern Hemisphere, previously ...

Eryngiums such as ''E. alpinum'' and ''E. planum'' are known for their conspicuous bristly or spiny bracts.

Taxonomy

''Eryngium ebracteatum'' was described in 1797 by the French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamark (Lam.). This species is a member of the subgenus Monocotyloidea which includes most New World species. Withi
Monocotyloidea
''E. ebracteatum'' is part of a group of South American species with inconspicuous involucral bracts. Its closest relatives are the Argentinian specie
''E. incantatum''
Lucena, Novara & Cuezzo. and Brazilian specie
''E. balansae''
H.Wolff.

Morphology

''Eryngium ebracteatum'' is an evergreen herbaceous perennial growing to a height of 1.5 meters. The species has grey-green lance shaped leaves which in contrast to other South American ''Eryngium'' are almost or entirely spineless. The inflorescences, which are cone shaped and deep-red are held on wiry branching stems, due to the absence of bracts and reddish color they are often confused with ''sanguisorba'' L. species such a

Fisch. ex Link. and '' S. officinalis'' L. ''E. ebracteatum'' has underground storage organs and long

taproot A taproot is a large, central, and dominant root from which other roots sprout laterally. Typically a taproot is somewhat straight and very thick, is tapering in shape, and grows directly downward. In some plants, such as the carrot, the taproot ...

s with little branching. The glaucous leaves of this plant are a result of a covering of epicuticular waxes, the particular arrangement of these wax crystals makes the leaves ultrahydrophobic. In plants this adaptation is known as the

lotus effect The lotus effect refers to self-cleaning properties that are a result of ultrahydrophobicity as exhibited by the leaves of ''Nelumbo'', the lotus flower. Dirt particles are picked up by water droplets due to the micro- and nanoscopic architect ...

, and it thought to aid in the removal of dust and soil particles from the leaves which may contain pathogens or reduce photosynthesis.

Distribution and habitat

''Eryngium ebracteatum'' is widely distributed in South and Central America, including Brazil, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela. It is native to undegraded frequently flooding

pampas The Pampas (; from Quechua 'plain'), also known as the Pampas Plain, are fertile South American low grasslands that cover more than and include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, and Córdoba; all o ...

as well as humid mesophytic meadows, the species is found at elevations of 130 to 1600 meters.

Conservation

The conservation status of ''E. ebracteatum'' has not been locally evaluated within Colombia, nor has its global threat level been assessed. Despite this, it is known to have a wide distribution across South America so is resilient to local threats. In contrast, its habitat is at risk due to

invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...

, especially herbaceous perennials in the

Asteraceae Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the Order (biology), order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchi ...

Poaceae Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos, the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivate ...

and

Fabaceae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...

families. These plants have often been imported for the horticultural trade and then spread to natural environments.

Cultivation

The most frequently cultivated species of the genus ''Eryngium'' are in the subgenus ''Eryngium'' (native to rocky and coastal areas). The New World grassland species are cultivated less often but are gaining popularity due to their fit within th
naturalistic planting movement
In cultivation, ''Eryngium ebracteatum'' requires full sun and moderately fertile soil. Despite being native to wet areas, it is prone to root and crown rot if it receives a combination of low temperatures and waterlogged soil. Most specimens of ''Eryngium ebracteatum'' cultivated are of the variety 'poterioides'.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5837261 ebracteatum Taxa named by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck Flora of Southern America