Macranthera
Genus of plants
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Macranthera is a monotypic plant genus in the family Orobanchaceae containing only the species Macranthera flammea, commonly known as the flameflower or hummingbird-flower.[1][3] It is endemic to the Coastal Plain of the south-eastern United States.
| Macranthera | |
|---|---|
| |
| Macranthera flammea photographed in Jackson County, Mississippi | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Orobanchaceae |
| Genus: | Macranthera Nutt. ex Benth. |
| Species: | M. flammea |
| Binomial name | |
| Macranthera flammea | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
Distribution and habitat
Largely restricted to the Gulf Coastal Plain of the south-eastern United States, Macranthera flammea is native to the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi, ranging as far east as Bulloch County in eastern Georgia.[1][3][4] It occurs in and around bogs, bayheads, creeks, ecotones, and seepage slopes from sea level up to 100 m (330 ft) above sea level.[3][4]
Ecology
Macranthera flammea flowers from July to October,[3] and has adapted to flower prolifically following fires. The flowering period coincides with the arrival of ruby-throated hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) in its range as part of their migration across the Gulf of Mexico.[4]