Sherardia

Blue field-madder
Sherardia arvensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Rubiaceae
Subfamily: Rubioideae
Tribe: Rubieae
Genus: Sherardia
L.
Species:
S. arvensis
Binomial name
Sherardia arvensis
Synonyms
  • Asperula sherardia Hallier
  • Asterophyllum scherardianum Schimp. & Spenn.
  • Galium sherardia E.H.L.Krause
  • Hexodontocarpus arvensis (L.) Dulac
  • Sherardia affinis Gand.
  • Sherardia agraria Tornab.
  • Sherardia elliptica Gand.
  • Sherardia maritima (Griseb.) Borbás
  • Sherardia pantocsekii Gand.
  • Sherardia umbellata Gilib.

Sherardia is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. The genus contains only one species, Sherardia arvensis, the (blue) field madder, which is widespread across most of Europe and northern Africa as well as southwest and central Asia (from Turkey to Saudi Arabia to Kazakhstan) and Macaronesia (Canary Islands, Azores, Madeira, Savage Islands).[1] It is also reportedly naturalized in Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Kerguelen, Ethiopia, Sudan, southern Africa, Mexico, Costa Rica, South America, Bermuda, Cuba, Haiti and much of Canada and the United States (especially the Pacific States and the lower Mississippi Valley).[2][3][4]

  1. ^ "Sherardia". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  2. ^ Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Sherardia arvensis
  3. ^ Altervista Flora Italiana, Sherardia arvensis
  4. ^ Biota of North America Program, Galium sherardia (synonym of Sherardia arvensis)