Basella
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Basella | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Basella alba | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Basellaceae |
| Genus: | Basella L. |
| Type species | |
| Basella alba | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
Gandola Rumph. ex Raf. | |
The genus Basella is the type genus of the plant family Basellaceae. Basella contains five known species.[2] Three species are endemic to Madagascar, and one is endemic to southeastern Africa. The fifth is widespread across Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and New Guinea.[1]
The genus name is derived from the south Indian name Basale which Hendrik Rheede recorded in Malabar as Basella in his Hortus Malabaricus. The name was utilitized by Linnaeus.[3][4]
