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''Diascia'' is a genus of around 70 species〔(Plantzafrica ) ''Diascia integerrima''〕 of herbaceous annual and perennial flowering plants of the family Scrophulariaceae, native to southern Africa, including South Africa, Lesotho and neighbouring areas. The perennial species are found mainly in summer-rainfall areas such as the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg; about 50 species, mostly annuals, are found in the Western Cape and Namaqualand, winter rainfall areas. Their common name is twinspur, in reference to the two (usually downward-pointing) spurs to be found on the back of the flower. These help to distinguish them from the similar (and closely related) genera ''Alonsoa'' and ''Nemesia''. The spurs contain a special oil, which is collected in the wild by certain species of bees that appear to have coevolved with the plants, as they have unusually long forelegs for collecting the oil.〔(Google Books: ) Thompson, John N., ''The Coevolutionary Process''〕〔 (PlantSystematics.org ) ''Diascia'' (Scrophulariaceae)〕 In gardens, ''Diascia'' cultivars (mostly hybrids) have become extremely popular as colourful, floriferous, easily grown bedding plants in recent years.〔(Horticulture Week: ) ''Diascia'', by Graham Clarke〕 ==Etymology== Surprisingly, the generic name (from the Greek ''di'' = two and ''askos'' = bag, pouch or sack) does not refer to the spurs, but to the two translucent sacs, or pouches, known as 'windows', found in the upper part of the corolla of the original type specimen, ''Diascia bergiana''. ''Diascia'' species in the section ''Racemosae'' have similar windows, but in some species they merge into one. The windows may help oil-collecting bees to find the correct position within the corolla when gathering oil from the glands within the spurs. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Diascia (plant)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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