Hornungia

Hornungia Reichenb. (incl. Hutchinsia R. Br., Hymenolobus Nutt., Pritzelago Kuntze)

Hornungia is, as currently circumscribed, a genus with three species, all native to Eurasia and North Africa. It comprises the genera Hymenolobus and Pritzelago since characters separating these three genera are of no taxonomic value (Appel & Al Shehbaz 1997). Molecular data support the amalgamation of these genera (Mummenhoff & al. 2001). The generic name Hutchinsia has also been applied for this taxon but this in an illegitimate name, as shown by Meyer (1982).

One variable species of the genus (Hornungia alpina (L.) O. Appel) is cultivated as an ornamental for rock gardens, while another one (H. procumbens (L.) Hayek) is weedy. Both have been recorded in Belgium. However, the latter was recently only seen in containers with Mediterranean plants in garden centers (Hoste & al. 2009). It is expected to crop up in urban habitats (cracks in pavement, gravel, foot of walls, etc.) (e.g. Kunitz 1994).

Literature:


Appel O. & Al Shehbaz I.A. (1997) Generic limits and taxonomy of Hornungia, Pritzelago, and Hymenolobus (Brassicaceae). Novon 7(4): 338-340. [available online at: http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/27034#/summary]

Hoste I., Verloove F., Nagels C., Andriessen L. & Lambinon J. (2009) De adventievenflora van in België ingevoerde mediterrane containerplanten. Dumortiera 97: 1-16. [available online at: http://www.botanicgarden.be/DUMORTIERA/DUM_97/Dum%2097_1-16_Mediterrane%20containerplanten_Hoste%20et%20al.pdf]

Kunitz T. (1994) Bemerkenswerter Neufund von Hymenolobus procumbens in Niedersachsen. Flor. Rundbr. 27(2): 110-111.

Meyer F.K. (1982) Was ist Hutchinsia R. Br. in Ait. Wiss Zeitschr. Friedrich-Schiller Univ. Jena, Mat. Naturwiss., Bedr. Phytotax. 31(2): 267-276.

Mummenhoff K., Brüggemann H. & Bowman J.L. (2001) Chloroplast DNA phylogeny and biogeography of Lepidium (Brassicaceae). American Journal of Botany 88: 2051-2063. [available online at: http://www.amjbot.org/content/88/11/2051.full.pdf+html]

Taxonomic name: 
Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith