Beesia
Genus of flowering plants
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Beesia is a genus of flowering plants in the buttercup family. It was named in 1915[2] after the plant nursery firm Bees of Chester, who financed the plant hunting trips of George Forrest and Frank Kingdon-Ward in China.[3]
| Beesia | |
|---|---|
| |
| Beesia deltophylla | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Ranunculales |
| Family: | Ranunculaceae |
| Subfamily: | Ranunculoideae |
| Tribe: | Cimicifugeae |
| Genus: | Beesia Balf.f. & W.W.Sm. |
| Species[1] | |
Species
Description
Morphology
Beesia is an evergreen perennial and grows as a dense basal rosette of heart-shaped leaves with delicate serrated edges. Leaves are soft and waxy; new growth of B. deltophylla flushes dark green to black, while B. calthifolia is a lighter shade of green. Small white flowers bloom mid-summer off an upright spike. Flowers are star-like: although Beesia flowers do not have petals,[7] they do have 5 elliptic, petal-like sepals.[8] Flowers also have many stamens.[8]
Phytochemistry
A class of organic molecules termed beesiosides have been isolated from Beesia plants.[9][10] Beesiosides are cycloartane glycosides (a type of triterpene that forms a sugar and a non-sugar upon hydrolysis).[9][11][12]
Phylogeny
Anemonopsis, a monotypic genus in the Ranunculaceae native to Japan,[13] is a sister group to Beesia.[14][15] Eranthis and Actaea are also closely related to Beesia.[16]
Uses
Ornamental
Beesia is easily divided or grown from seed, and can be grown in USDA hardiness zones 6a to 8b. It grows best in partial shade or filtered light in rich, moist soil.
Medicinal
Beesia rhizomes are used in Chinese herbal medicine as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and influenza.[8]
