Browallia

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Cladus: Lamiids
Ordo: Solanales

Familia: Solanaceae
Subfamilia: Cestroideae
Tribus: Browallieae
Genus: Browallia
Species: B. abbreviata – B. acutiloba – B. albiantha – B. americana – B. amicora – B. coalita – B. corongoana – B. dilloniana – B. eludens – B. grandiflora – B. guzmangoa – B. longitubulata – B. mionei – B. mirabilis – B. plazapampae – B. salpoana – B. sandrae – B. speciosa – B. termophylla
Name

Browallia L., Sp. Pl. 2: 631. (1753)

Type species: Browallia americana L., Sp. Pl. 2: 631. (1753)

References

Linnaeus, C. 1753. Species Plantarum. Tomus II: 631. Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2019. Browallia in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2019 Nov. 24. Reference page.
Hassler, M. 2019. Browallia. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2019. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: 2019 Nov. 24. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2019. Browallia. Published online. Accessed: Nov. 24 2019.
Tropicos.org 2019. Browallia. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 24 Nov. 2019.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Browallia in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 09-Oct-10.

Vernacular names
العربية: برواليا
suomi: Piispankukat
中文: 紫水晶屬

Browallia is a small genus of seven species of flowering plants (mostly annuals though occasionally shrubs or ephemerophytes) belonging to the nightshade family Solanaceae.[1] It is named after Johannes Browallius (1707–1755), also known as Johan Browall, a Swedish botanist, physician and bishop.[2] The genus is closely related to the monotypic genus Streptosolen, the single species of which was published initially under the name Browallia jamesonii.

Browallia species are found from southern Arizona in the north, southward through Mexico, Central America and the Antilles to andine South America, reaching as far south as Bolivia.[1]

Species

'At least 17 binomials,at the specific level,have been proposed for this difficult genus; no doubt that a critical sound treatment is badly needed to clarify its obscure taxonomy' - Armando Hunziker (2001)[1]

Browallia abbreviata Benth.
Browallia acutiloba A.S. Alva & O.D. Carranza
Browallia americana L. - Jamaican forget-me-not
Browallia dilloniana Limo, K. Lezama & S. Leiva
Browallia eludens R.K.VanDevender & P.D.Jenkins - Arizona/yellow bush-violet
Browallia mirabilis S. Leiva
Browallia speciosa Hook. - Amethyst flower or bush-violet[3]

Use in Colombian folk medicine

The Ingano of Mocoa in the Colombian department of Putumayo chew the leaves of Browallia speciosa to a pulp and pack the resultant material around decaying molars to alleviate the pain of toothache.[4]

References

Armando T. Hunziker: The Genera of Solanaceae. A.R.G. Gantner Verlag K.G., Ruggell, Liechtenstein 2001. ISBN 3-904144-77-4, pps. 87-89 inclusive.
Genaust, Helmut (1976). Etymologisches Wörterbuch der botanischen Pflanzennamen ISBN 3-7643-0755-2
The Plant List http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/search?q=Browallia Retrieved 1.57 on 28/2/19

Schultes, Richard Evans and Raffauf, Robert F. The Healing Forest - Medicinal and Toxic Plants of the Northwest Amazonia, pub. Dioscorides Press, Portland, Oregon (an imprint of Timber Press,Inc.) 1990 ISBN 0-931146-14-3 pps. 418-19.

Further reading
Pink, A. (2004). Gardening for the Million. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.