Hyperacanthus is a flowering plant

Flowering plant

The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...

 genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 in the family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 Rubiaceae

Rubiaceae

The Rubiaceae is a family of flowering plants, variously called the coffee family, madder family, or bedstraw family. The group contains many commonly known plants, including the economically important coffee , quinine , and gambier , and the horticulturally valuable madder , west indian jasmine ,...

, occurring on Madagascar

Madagascar

The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...

 and nearby southern Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

, approximately from Mozambique

Mozambique

Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...

 to the southernmost parts of the continent.

This genus used to contain only 5 species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

, but the number has tripled since a number of plants formerly believed to be genip-trees – the "Genipa

Genipa

The genip-trees , are a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. This genus is closely allied to Gardenia; several Gardenia species were originally placed in Genipa. It is not to be confused with genip , a completely unrelated eudicot. The name is derived from genipapo, the Guianan name...

 sensu Drake" group – were recognized to be not as closely related to genips as was previously believed. Those species are now placed in Hyperacanthus, at least provisionally:

• Hyperacanthus ambovombensis Rakotonas. & A.P.Davis
• Hyperacanthus amoenus (Sims) Bridson
• Hyperacanthus exosolenius (formerly in Genipa, tentatively placed here)
• Hyperacanthus grevei Rakotonas. & A.P.Davis
• Hyperacanthus lantzianus (formerly in Genipa, tentatively placed here)
• Hyperacanthus lastellianus (formerly in Genipa, tentatively placed here)
• Hyperacanthus madagascariensis (Lam.) Rakotonas. & A.P.Davis (formerly in Genipa)
• Hyperacanthus mandenensis Rakotonas. & A.P.Davis
• Hyperacanthus microphyllus (K.Schum.) Bridson
• Hyperacanthus perrieri (Drake) Rakotonas. & A.P.Davis (formerly in Genipa)
• Hyperacanthus pervillei (Drake) Rakotonas. & A.P.Davis (formerly in Genipa)
• Hyperacanthus poivrei (Drake) Rakotonas. & A.P.Davis (formerly in Genipa)
• Hyperacanthus ravinensis (Baill. ex Drake) Rakotonas. & A.P.Davis (formerly in Genipa)
• Hyperacanthus talangninia (DC.) Rakotonas. & A.P.Davis (formerly in Genipa)
• Hyperacanthus tubulosus (formerly in Genipa, tentatively placed here)