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''Krameria'' is the only genus in the Krameriaceae family, of which any of the approximately 18 species are commonly known as rhatany, ratany or rattany. Rhatany is also the name given to krameria root, a botanical remedy consisting of the dried root of para rhatany (''
Krameria argentea ''Krameria'' is the only genus in the Krameriaceae family, of which any of the approximately 18 species are commonly known as rhatany, ratany or rattany. Rhatany is also the name given to krameria root, a botanical remedy consisting of the dried ...
'') or Peruvian rhatany (''
Krameria lappacea ''Krameria lappacea'', commonly known as para rhatany and Peruvian rhatany, is a plant species in the genus ''Krameria'', native to Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, northern Chile and northwest Argentina. It is a slow-growing shrub that grows in semi-arid ...
''). The biological action of rhatany is caused by the
astringent An astringent (sometimes called adstringent) is a chemical that shrinks or constricts body tissues. The word derives from the Latin '' adstringere'', which means "to bind fast". Astringency, the dry, puckering or numbing mouthfeel caused by t ...
rhataniatannic acid, which is similar to
tannic acid Tannic acid is a specific form of tannin, a type of polyphenol. Its weak acidity (Acid dissociation constant, pKa around 6) is due to the numerous phenol groups in the structure. The chemical formula for commercial tannic acid is often given as ...
. Infusions have been used as a gargle, a lozenge, especially when mixed with
cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...
, as a local
hemostatic An antihemorrhagic () agent is a substance that promotes hemostasis (a process which stops bleeding). It may also be known as a hemostatic (also spelled haemostatic) agent. Antihemorrhagic agents used in medicine have various mechanisms of action: ...
and remedy for
diarrhea Diarrhea (American English), also spelled diarrhoea or diarrhœa (British English), is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements in a day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration d ...
. When finely powdered, the dried roots furnished a frequent constituent of tooth powders. The powdered roots have also served, especially in
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
, to color
wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...
s ruby red. The root bark contains an almost insoluble free red substance called ratanhia red.


Ecology

''Krameria'' are found across the
Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...
where they grow in habitats ranging from arid deserts to subtropical savannas. They are perennial hemiparasitic shrubs that simultaneously photosynthesize and collect nutrients from the root systems of other plants. They have parasitic organs called
haustoria In botany and mycology, a haustorium (plural haustoria) is a rootlike structure that grows into or around another structure to absorb water or nutrients. For example, in mistletoe or members of the broomrape family, the structure penetrates th ...
which puncture foreign roots, forming a bulbous-shaped nutrient pathway between the two organisms. The flowers have two specialized fleshy petals called
elaiophore An elaiophore (from Gr. ''elaion'' -oil and ''phorein'' -carry) is a plant organ that secretes oil. A distinction is made in: * epithelial elaiophors: oil glands * trichome eaiophores: glandular hairs. The oils consist of fatty acids and/or gly ...
s that produce a lipid which is collected by bees of the genus ''
Centris The genus ''Centris'' contains circa 250 species of large apid bees occurring in the Neotropical and Nearctic realms, from Kansas to Argentina. Most females of these bees possess adaptations for carrying floral oils rather than (or in additi ...
'' as they pollinate the flowers. This an obligate pollination relationship, and Krameriaceae is one of eleven
extant Extant or Least-concern species, least concern is the opposite of the word extinct. It may refer to: * Extant hereditary titles * Extant literature, surviving literature, such as ''Beowulf'', the oldest extant manuscript written in English * Exta ...
lineages of oil-flowers.


Taxonomic History

''Krameria'' was first collected by european botanists in the 1750s during an expedition in northern South America by
Pehr Löfling Pehr Löfling (31 January 1729 – 22 February 1756) was a Swedish botanist and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus. Biography Löfling was born in Tolvfors Bruk, Gävle, Sweden. He studied at the University of Uppsala where he attended courses taugh ...
. The new taxa was originally placed in
Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...
' Tetrandria Monogynia, meaning flower with four stamens and one pistil. Since its initial collection, there have been 17 new species of ''Krameria'' described, the most recent of which, ''Krameria bahiana'', was in 1987. ''Krameria'' exhibits a high degree of morphological divergence from other
angiosperms Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed within a fruit. T ...
. This divergence, exemplified by root parasitism and specialized pollination structures, is driven by coevolutionary relationships with insects and other plants. Due to its distinct morphology, Krameria was a “problem taxon” for taxonomists until the 21st century. Previously allied with the
Polygalaceae The Polygalaceae or the milkwort family are made up of flowering plants in the order Fabales. They have a near-cosmopolitan range, with about 27 genera and ''ca''. 900 known species of herbs, shrubs and trees. Over half of the species are in on ...
and the
Fabaceae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...
, genetic analyses in 1993 and 2000 showed that Krameriaceae is most closely related to
Zygophyllaceae Zygophyllaceae is a family of flowering plants that contains the bean-caper and caltrop. The family includes around 285 species in 22 genera. Plants in the family Zygophyllaceae may be trees, shrubs, or herbs. They are often found in dry habit ...
. This placement had never before been considered by taxonomists due to the morphological differences between the two families. Within the family, there are two major clades, each with a North and South American subclade. This phylogeny suggests two distinct geographical radiation events between the Americas.


Species

17 species are accepted. *''
Krameria argentea ''Krameria'' is the only genus in the Krameriaceae family, of which any of the approximately 18 species are commonly known as rhatany, ratany or rattany. Rhatany is also the name given to krameria root, a botanical remedy consisting of the dried ...
'' Mart. ex Spreng. – para rhatany *''
Krameria bahiana ''Krameria'' is the only genus in the Krameriaceae family, of which any of the approximately 18 species are commonly known as rhatany, ratany or rattany. Rhatany is also the name given to krameria root, a botanical remedy consisting of the dried ...
'' *''
Krameria bicolor ''Krameria bicolor'' is a perennial shrub or subshrub of the family Krameriaceae, the rhatanies. It is commonly known as white rhatany, crimson-beak, and ''chacate'' in Spanish (''cosahui'' in the state of Sonora). It is found in drier environm ...
'' S.Watson (=''K. grayi'') – white rhatany *''
Krameria cistoidea ''Krameria cistoidea'' is a perennial shrub in the flowering plant family Krameriaceae. It is endemic to northern and central Chile. The biological action of genus members is caused by the astringent rhataniatannic acid, which is similar to t ...
'' *''
Krameria cytisoides ''Krameria'' is the only genus in the Krameriaceae family, of which any of the approximately 18 species are commonly known as rhatany, ratany or rattany. Rhatany is also the name given to krameria root, a botanical remedy consisting of the dried ...
'' *''
Krameria erecta ''Krameria erecta'' is a species of rhatany known by several common names, including Pima rhatany, purple heather, and littleleaf rhatany. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it grows in dry areas such as de ...
'' Willd. – Pima rhatany, purple heather, littleleaf rhatany *''
Krameria grandiflora ''Krameria'' is the only genus in the Krameriaceae family, of which any of the approximately 18 species are commonly known as rhatany, ratany or rattany. Rhatany is also the name given to krameria root, a botanical remedy consisting of the dried ...
'' *'' Krameria ixine'' L. – abrojo Colorado *'' Krameria lanceolata'' Torr. – trailing krameria *''
Krameria lappacea ''Krameria lappacea'', commonly known as para rhatany and Peruvian rhatany, is a plant species in the genus ''Krameria'', native to Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, northern Chile and northwest Argentina. It is a slow-growing shrub that grows in semi-arid ...
'' (Dombey) Burdet & B.B.Simpson (=''K. triandra'', ''K. iluca'') – Peruvian rhatany *'' Krameria pauciflora'' *'' Krameria paucifolia'' *'' Krameria ramosissima'' S.Watson – manystem rhatany *'' Krameria revoluta'' *'' Krameria secundiflora'' *'' Krameria spartiodes'' *'' Krameria tomentosa''


References

*Simpson, B. B. (1982). ''Krameria'' (Krameriaceae) flowers: Orientation and elaiophore morphology. ''Taxon'' 31:3 517–528 *


External links


Jepson Manual TreatmentUSDA Plants Profile
{{Authority control Zygophyllales genera Flora of the Americas Taxa described in 1759