Clausia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Brassicaceae (order Brassicales). Its members are perennial herbaceous plants with alternate, simple leaves. The flowers are 4-petaled, white or lilac in colour, and the fruit is a silique. The genus is native to Eurasia, ranging from Eastern Central Europe to temperate Asia.
The genus was named by the botanist Pyotr Yakovlevich Kornukh-Trotsky in honour of Karl Ernst Klaus (1796–1864), a Russian chemist, pharmacist, and botanist who was professor at Kazan University and is best known as the discoverer of the chemical element ruthenium.
Four species are recognised: Clausia aprica (the type species), C. kasakhorum, C. robusta, and C. trichosepala.
Etymology
The genus Clausia was named by Pyotr Yakovlevich Kornukh-Trotsky (1803–1877) in honour of Karl Karlovich Klaus (Karl Ernst Klaus, 1796–1864), a Russian chemist, pharmacist, and botanist. Klaus was a professor at Kazan University, a researcher of the flora of the Trans-Volga region, and the discoverer of the chemical element ruthenium.
Distribution
Clausia is native to Eurasia, ranging from Eastern Central Europe through to temperate Asia. iNaturalist records over 1,100 observations across this range, concentrated in Eastern Europe, Russia, Kazakhstan, and neighbouring regions of temperate Asia.
