''Shortia'' is a small genus of subshrubs or perennial herbs in the family

Diapensiaceae Diapensiaceae is a small family of flowering plants, which includes 15 species in 6 genera. The genera include '' Berneuxia'' Decne. (1 species), ''Diapensia'' L. (5 species), '' Galax'' Sims (1 species), ''Pyxidanthera'' Michx. (2 species), ' ...

. There are five species, four in Asia and one in the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. The ...

of eastern North America. They are found in mountainous areas, generally from elevation. All have restricted ranges and are generally considered rare. Three of the species, ''S. galacifolia'', ''S. soldanelloides'', and ''S. uniflora'' are often cultivated. The genus was by

Asa Gray Asa Gray (November 18, 1810 – January 30, 1888) is considered the most important American botanist of the 19th century. His '' Darwiniana'' was considered an important explanation of how religion and science were not necessarily mutually ex ...

named after botanist

Charles Wilkins Short Charles Wilkins Short (October 6, 1794 – March 7, 1863) was an American botanist. He primarily worked in the state of Kentucky. Short discovered several species of plants and has six species of plants named after him. He attended Transylvania U ...

. In Gray's diary entry for April 8, 1839, he named the genus after

because the plant was native to America in a region close to where Short lived, which was Kentucky. Short and Gray never met but they corresponded with one another frequently. Short never saw a live nor dried specimen of his namesake genus.

Species

References

Diapensiaceae Flora of temperate Asia Taxa named by Asa Gray {{Ericales-stub