Brunfelsia (Genus)

Overview

Brunfelsia is a of about 40 species of neotropical shrubs and small trees.

The leaves are alternate and simple, with shapes generally elliptic to ovate. The flowers are large and tubular, with five broad petals. Typical habitat is light woodland and thickets. Species in cultivation include Brunfelsia americana ("lady of the night") and Brunfelsia pauciflora. Linnaeus named the genus for early German herbalist Otto Brunfels (1488-1534). The cultivated plant is commonly called "yesterday, today, and tomorrow" due to its color changes.

Many members of this genus contain toxic and medicinal alkaloids. Brunfelsia grandiflora is used by curanderos in South America as an additive to ayahuasca and contains the psychoactive alkaloid scopoletin. Brunfelsia hopeana contains the alkaloid hopeanine.

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Taxonomy

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Domain: Eukaryota Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Plantae Haeckel, 1866
  - Subkingdom: Viridaeplantae Cavalier-Smith, 1981 - Green Plants
    - Phylum: Tracheophyta Sinnott, 1935 Ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - Vascular Plants
      - Subphylum: Euphyllophytina
        Infraphylum: Radiatopses Kenrick & Crane, 1997
        Class: Magnoliopsida Brongniart, 1843 - Dicotyledons
        Subclass: Lamiidae Takhtajan Ex Reveal, 1992
        Superorder: Solananae R. Dahlgren Ex Reveal, 1992
        Order: Solanales Dumortier, 1829
        Family: Solanaceae (so-lan-AY-see-ay) Adans., 1763, Nom. Cons. - Potato Family
        Subfamily: Petunioideae
        Tribe: Brodieae
        Genus: Brunfelsia (brun-FELZ-ee-uh) L. - Raintree

The Genus Brunfelsia is further organized into finer groupings including:

Species: ZipcodeZoo has pages for 128 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in the Genus Brunfelsia: B. abbottii · B. acuminata · B. acuminata f. ramosissima · B. acunae · B. amazonica · B. americana (American Brunfelsia) · B. americana var. pubescens · B. augusta · B. australis (Eternity Plant) · B. bahiensis · B. boliviana · B. bonodora · B. brasiliensis · B. brasiliensis macrocalyx · B. brasiliensis subsp. macrocalyx · B. brasiliensis var. acuminata · B. burchellii · B. calycina · B. calycina f. grandiflora · B. calycina var. eximia · B. calycina var. floribunda · B. calycina var. lindeniana · B. calycina var. macrantha · B. capitata · B. cestroides · B. chiricaspi (Brunfelsia) · B. chocoensis · B. clandestina · B. clarensis · B. confertiflora · B. cuneifolia · B. densiflora (Brunfelsia) · B. densifolia (Serpentine Hill Raintree) · B. dwyeri · B. eximia · B. falcata · B. fallax · B. fawcetii · B. fawcettii · B. floribunda · B. gigantea (Lady of the Night) · B. gracilis · B. grandiflora (Brazil Raintree) · B. grandiflora grandiflora · B. grandiflora schultesii · B. grandiflora subsp. schultesii · B. grisebachii · B. guianensis · B. harrisii · B. hopeana var. australis · B. hopeana var. macrocalyx · B. hopeana var. pubescens · B. hoppeana · B. hydrangeaeformis · B. hydrangeiformis · B. hydrangeiformis capitata · B. hydrangeiformis subsp. capitata · B. hydrangeiformis var. glabriuscula · B. imatacana · B. inodora · B. isola (Lady of the Night) · B. jamaicensis (Lady of the Night) · B. lactea (Lady of the Night) · B. latifolia (Kiss Me Quick) · B. lindeniana · B. linearis · B. lockharti · B. longiflora · B. longituba · B. macrocarpa · B. macroloba · B. macrophylla · B. magnifica (Magnificent Brunfelsia) · B. maliformis · B. manaca (Manaca) · B. maritima · B. martiana · B. membranacea · B. mire (Brunfelsia) · B. montana · B. multiflora · B. mutabilis · B. nitida (Brunfelsia) · B. nitida var. jamaicensis · B. nyctaginoides (Brunfelsia) · B. obovata · B. obovata coriacea · B. obovata var. coriacea · B. obovata var. obovata · B. paraguayensis · B. parviflora · B. parvifolia · B. pauciflora (Brazil Raintree) · B. pauciflora 'Eximia' · B. pauciflora 'Floribunda Compacta' · B. pauciflora 'Floribunda' (Today and Tomorrow) · B. pauciflora 'Lindeniana' · B. pauciflora 'Macrantha' · B. pauciflora var. calycina · B. picardae · B. pilosa (Manaca Root) · B. plicata (Brunfelsia) · B. pluriflora · B. portoricensis (Puerto Rico Raintree) · B. purpurea · B. ramosissima · B. ramosissima f. confertiflora · B. ramosissima f. laxiflora · B. ramosissima f. parcifolia · B. rupestris · B. schomburgkiana · B. shaferi · B. sieberi · B. silvicola · B. sinuata · B. spinosa · B. splendida · B. spruceana · B. tastevini · B. terminalis · B. uniflora (Manaca) · B. uniflora f. intermedia · B. uniflora f. obovatifolia · B. uniflora f. typica · B. uniflora var. pubescens · B. vinciflora · B. violacea · B. x 'Isola'

Sources

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