What is "bongardia"

Bongardia is a group of plants in the Berberidaceae described as a genus in 1831. There is only one known species, Bongardia chrysogonum, is native to North Africa, Greece, and the Middle East as far east as Pakistan.

It is a tuberous, herbaceous plant with a large rounded tuber and attractive pinnate leaves. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). This rare and striking plant is native to rocky, montane slopes and cultivated fields where summers are dry and winters are spent under snow. It is named for Gustav Heinrich von Bongard (1786–1839), a German botanist, professor at St. Petersburg Imperial University. Leaves and root are edible.