Libertia
Genus of flowering plants
title: "Libertia" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["libertia", "iridaceae-genera"] description: "Genus of flowering plants" topic_path: "general/libertia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertia" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Genus of flowering plants ::
| image = Libertia grandiflora.JPG | image_caption = Libertia grandiflora | display_parents = 2 | taxon = Libertia | authority = Spreng. 1824, conserved name not Dumort. 1822 (syn of Hosta) nor Lej. 1825 (syn of Bromus) | synonyms = * Tekel Adans.
- Tekelia Scop.
- Renealmia R.Br. 1810 not L. 1753 nor L.f. 1782
- Nematostigma A.Dietr.
- Orthrosanthus Sweet
- Taumastos Raf.
- Choeradodia Herb.
- Ezeria Raf. | synonyms_ref = | type_species = Libertia ixioides | type_species_authority = (Forster f.) Spreng. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Libertia_peregrinans_2.jpg" caption="''Libertia peregrinans''"] ::
Libertia is a genus of monocotyledonous plants in the family Iridaceae, first described as a genus in 1824. It is native to South America, Australia, New Guinea, and New Zealand. Eight species are endemic to New Zealand.
Libertia is made up of herbaceous or evergreen perennials growing from short rhizomes, with simple, linear or narrowly lanceolate basal leaves which are often green but may be red, orange, or yellow under direct sunlight. The showy white or blue trimerous flowers are open in spring and are followed by capsules opening by three valves which contain the numerous seeds.
The genus was named after the Belgian botanist Marie-Anne Libert (1782–1865) (also referred to as Anne-Marie Libert).
The species Libertia chilensis has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.{{cite web | url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/23471/i-Libertia-chilensis-i/Details | title = RHS Plantfinder - Libertia chilensis | access-date= 22 March 2018}}
; Species
- Libertia chilensis (Molina) Gunckel - central + southern Chile, southern Argentina, Juan Fernández Islands
- Libertia colombiana R.C.Foster - Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia
- Libertia cranwelliae Blanchon, B.G.Murray & Braggins - North Island of New Zealand
- Libertia edgariae Blanchon, B.G.Murray & Braggins - North Island of New Zealand
- Libertia falcata Ravenna - Los Lagos region of Chile
- Libertia flaccidifolia Blanchon & J.S.Weaver - North Island of New Zealand
- Libertia grandiflora (R.Br.) Sweet - North + South Islands of New Zealand
- Libertia insignis Ravenna - Los Lagos region of Chile
- Libertia ixioides (G.Forst.) Spreng. - North + South Islands of New Zealand
- Libertia micrantha A.Cunn. - North + South Islands of New Zealand
- Libertia mooreae Blanchon, B.G.Murray & Braggins - North + South Islands of New Zealand
- Libertia paniculata (R.Br.) Spreng. - eastern Australia - Branching Grass Flag
- Libertia peregrinans Cockayne & Allan - North + South + Chatham Islands of New Zealand
- Libertia pulchella (R.Br.) Spreng. - New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, North + South Islands of New Zealand, New Guinea
- Libertia sessiliflora (Poepp.) Skottsb. - central Chile
- Libertia tricocca Phil. - central + southern Chile
- Libertia umbellata Ravenna - Los Lagos region of Chile
; Selected formerly included Numerous names have been coined using the name Libertia, referring to species that are now regarded as better suited to other genera (Bromus Cardiocrinum Hosta Orthrosanthus).
- Libertia arduennensis - Bromus bromoideus
- Libertia arundinacea - Bromus bromoideus
- Libertia azurea - Orthrosanthus multiflorus
- Libertia cernua - Hosta plantaginea
- Libertia graminea - Orthrosanthus laxus var. gramineus
- Libertia heteroclita - Cardiocrinum cordatum
- Libertia laxa - Orthrosanthus laxus
- Libertia recta - Hosta ventricosa
- Libertia stricta - Orthrosanthus multiflorus
Cytology
Libertia has a high rate of polyploidy, with 9/11 of assessed species confirmed as polyploid and only 3 confirmed as diploid. This is not unprecedented, with polyploidy being a common feature in the tribe Sisyrinchieae. The uniform base number of x=19 is, however, defining within the tribe. This base number is not found elsewhere in the tribe and only Diplarrhena and Solenomelus have uniform base numbers intragenerically.
All New Zealand endemic species of Libertia are diploid, hexaploid or dodecaploid, while these levels of ploidy have not been found outside New Zealand. Polyploidy is more prevalent in New Zealand species across all botanical taxa and this has been attributed as a relic of glacial refugia during glacial maximums. ::data[format=table]
| Distribution | Species | Ploidy Level | Chromosomal Count | Contention |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South American | L. chilensis | 4x (6x) | last=Sanders; Stuessy; Rodriguez | first=R.W.; T.F.; R. |
| South American | L. colombiana | No data available. | No data available. | |
| New Zealand endemic | L. cranwelliae | 12x | 228 | |
| New Zealand endemic | L. edgariae | 6x | 114 | |
| South American | L. falcata | No data available. | No data available. | |
| New Zealand endemic | L. flaccidifolia | 12x | 228 | |
| New Zealand endemic | L. grandiflora | 6x | 114 (228, 230) | The 228/230 chromosome specimen was likely Libertia flaccidifolia, before the 2009 naming by Blanchon and Weaver. |
| South American | L. insignis | No data available. | No data available. | |
| New Zealand endemic | L. ixioides | 12x | 228 (220-230, 230) | Due to the difficulty in counting chromosomes, authors found between 220 and 230 chromosomes in different counts, with 228 being the average count. |
| New Zealand endemic | L. micrantha | 2x | 38 | |
| New Zealand endemic | L. mooreae | 6x | 114 | |
| Australian | L. paniculata | 4x | 76 | |
| New Zealand endemic | L. peregrinans | 6x | 114 | |
| Australasia | L. pulchella | 2x | 38 | |
| South American | L. sessiliflora | 2x | 38 | |
| South American | L. tricocca | No data available. | No data available. | |
| South American | L. umbellata | No data available. | No data available. | |
| :: |
References
References
- [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6720194#page/133/mode/1up Sprengel, Curt Polycarp Joachim 1824. Systema Vegetabilium, editio decima sexta 1: 127] in Latin
- [http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=323217 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families]
- (2002). "A taxonomic revision of ''Libertia'' (Iridaceae) in New Zealand". New Zealand Journal of Botany.
- "Census of vascular plants of Papua New Guinea".
- "Stephen Butler {{!}} IGPS Blog".
- Goldblatt; Henrich; Keating, Peter; James; Richard. (1989). "Seed morphology of Sisyrinchium (Iridaceae-Sisyrinchieae) and its allies". Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden.
- Quattrocchi, Umberto. (2006). "CRC World Dictionary of Grasses, Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology". Taylor and Francis.
- (2008). "The Iris Family: Natural History & Classification". Timber Press.
- (July 2017). "AGM Plants - Ornamental". Royal Horticultural Society.
- {{APNI
- {{APNI
- Goldblatt; Takei, P.; M.. (1997). "Chromosome cytology of Iridaceae-patterns of variation, determination of ancestral base numbers, and modes of karyotype change". Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden.
- Blanchon; Weaver, D.J.; J.S.. (2009). "Libertia flaccidifolia (Iridaceae), a new species from Mt. Tamahunga, Northland, New Zealand". New Zealand Journal of Botany.
- Blanchon, D.J.. (2000). "Chromosome numbers in the genus Libertia". New Zealand Journal of Botany.
- Hair; Beuzenberg; Pearson, J.B.; E.J.; B.. (1967). "Contributions to a chromosome atlas of the New Zealand flora - 9. Miscellaneous families". New Zealand Journal of Botany.
- Moore, L.B.. (1967). "The New Zealand species of Libertia (Iridaceae)". New Zealand Journal of Botany.
- Rendle; Murray, H.; B.G.. (1989). "Chromosome relationships and breeding barriers in New Zealand species of Ranunculus". New Zealand Journal of Botany.
- Murray; Cameron; Standring, B.G.; E.K.; L.S.. (1992). "Chromosome numbers, karyotypes, and nuclear DNA variation in Pratia Gaudin (Lobeliaceae)". New Zealand Journal of Botany.
- McQueen, D.R.. (1992). "Disjunction of tree species in mountain forests, southern North Island, New Zealand: a review of paleobotanical evidence". Pacific Science.
- Sanders; Stuessy; Rodriguez, R.W.; T.F.; R.. (1983). "Chromosome numbers from the flora of the Juan Fernandez Islands". American Journal of Botany.
- Kenton; Heywood, A.; C.A.. (1984). "Cytological studies in South American Iridaceae". Plant Systematics and Evolution.
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