Schiekia is a monotypic genus of herbs belonging to the family Haemodoraceae and first described as a genus in 1957.Meisner, Carl Daniel Friedrich. 1842. Plantarum vascularium genera :secundum ordines naturales digesta eorumque differentiae et affinitates tabulis diagnostacis expositae 2(12): 300 in LatinTropicos, Schiekia Meisn. The sole recognised species, S. orinocensis is native to South America (Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana). This plant grasped the minds of many scientists who tried fruitlessly to discover its purpose in the natural order. Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant FamiliesHokche, O., Berry, P.E. & Huber, O. (eds.) (2008). Nuevo Catálogo de la Flora Vascular de Venezuela: 1-859. Fundación Instituto Botánico de Venezuela.Forzza, R. C. 2010. Lista de espécies Flora do Brasil http://floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br/2010. Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de JaneiroMaas, P. J. M. & H. Maas van de Kamer. 1993. Haemodoraceae. Flora Neotropica, Monograph 61: 1–44.
Subspecies Schiekia orinocensis subsp. orinocensis - Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname Schiekia orinocensis subsp. silvestris Maas & Stoel - N Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana
Phylogeny Comparison of homologous DNA has increased the insight in the phylogenetic relationships between the genera in the Haemodoroideae subfamily. The following trees represent those insights.
References