Calligonum

Calligonum
Calligonum polygonoides
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Core eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Polygonaceae
Subfamily:	Polygonoideae
Genus:	Calligonum L.
Species
see text.

Calligonum is a genus of plants in the family Polygonaceae with about 80 species across the Mediterranean Sea region, Asia and North America.

Characteristics

Plants of the Calligonum genus are shrubs, diffusely but irregularly branched, with flexuous woody branches. Leaves are simple, opposite, nearly sessile, linear or scale-like, sometimes absent or very small, linear or filiform, distinct or united with short membranous ochreae. Flowers are bisexual, solitary or in loose axillary inflorescences. Flowers have persistent, 5-parted perianths not accrescent in fruit, and 10-18 stamens with filaments connate at the base. The ovary is tetragonous.

Systematics

The species include:

• Calligonum aphyllum
• Calligonum arborescens
• Calligonum alaschanicum
• Calligonum bakuense
• Calligonum calliphysa
• Calligonum caput-medusae
• Calligonum chinense
• Calligonum colubrinum
• Calligonum comosum
• Calligonum cordatum
• Calligonum crinitum
• Calligonum comosum
• Calligonum densum
• Calligonum ebinuricum
• Calligonum elegans
• Calligonum gobicum
• Calligonum jeminaicum
• Calligonum junceum
• Calligonum klementzii
• Calligonum korlaense
• Calligonum leucocladum
• Calligonum microcarpum
• Calligonum mongolicum
• Calligonum polygonoides
• Calligonum potanini
• Calligonum pumilum
• Calligonum roborowskii
• Calligonum rouqiangense
• Calligonum rubicundum
• Calligonum squarrosum
• Calligonum trifarium
• Calligonum yengisaricum
• Calligonum zaidamense