Palicourea
Encyclopedia
Palicourea is a plant
genus
in the family
Rubiaceae
. It contains about 200 species
, which range in habit from shrub
s to small tree
s, and is distributed throughout the New World tropics
.
These plants are very closely related to Psychotria
and in particular its subgenus
Heteropsychotria. Indeed, it seems to be nothing else but a distinctively-flowered offshoot of Heteropsychotria; arguably, it would thus need to be merged into Psychotria to make that genus monophyletic. But on the other hand, Psychotria is extremely diverse already, so it is probably more practical to move the more distantly related species out of this genus and merge Heteropsychotria with Palicourea.
The genus is not well studied. Most species are distylous, although a few on isolated Caribbean
islands seem to have lost the trait. Flowers are in racemes, having no scent, and are normally pollinated
by hummingbird
s. Blue-black berries follow, and are thought to be distributed by birds.
Almost one-tenth of the Palicourea species are considered threatened by the IUCN, even though the conservation status of has only been reviewed for those species that occur in Ecuador
.
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
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 ,...
. It contains about 200 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...
, which range in habit from shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s to small tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s, and is distributed throughout the New World tropics
Tropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
.
These plants are very closely related to Psychotria
Psychotria
Psychotria is a plant genus of 1900 species in the family Rubiaceae. Members of the genus are low trees in tropical forests. The distinction between Psychotria and the genus Cephaelis are not well known and many species were formerly placed there....
and in particular its subgenus
Subgenus
In biology, a subgenus is a taxonomic rank directly below genus.In zoology, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the generic name and the specific epithet: e.g. the Tiger Cowry of the Indo-Pacific, Cypraea tigris Linnaeus, which...
Heteropsychotria. Indeed, it seems to be nothing else but a distinctively-flowered offshoot of Heteropsychotria; arguably, it would thus need to be merged into Psychotria to make that genus monophyletic. But on the other hand, Psychotria is extremely diverse already, so it is probably more practical to move the more distantly related species out of this genus and merge Heteropsychotria with Palicourea.
The genus is not well studied. Most species are distylous, although a few on isolated Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
islands seem to have lost the trait. Flowers are in racemes, having no scent, and are normally pollinated
Pollination
Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred in plants, thereby enabling fertilisation and sexual reproduction. Pollen grains transport the male gametes to where the female gamete are contained within the carpel; in gymnosperms the pollen is directly applied to the ovule itself...
by hummingbird
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
s. Blue-black berries follow, and are thought to be distributed by birds.
Almost one-tenth of the Palicourea species are considered threatened by the IUCN, even though the conservation status of has only been reviewed for those species that occur in Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
.
Selected species
- Palicourea anderssonianaPalicourea anderssonianaPalicourea anderssoniana is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-Source:* Jaramillo, T., Cornejo, X. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Palicourea anianguanaPalicourea anianguanaPalicourea anianguana is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-Source:* Jaramillo, T., Cornejo, X. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Palicourea asplundiiPalicourea asplundiiPalicourea asplundii is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-Source:* Jaramillo, T., Cornejo, X. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Palicourea azureaPalicourea azureaPalicourea azurea is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-Source:* Jaramillo, T., Cornejo, X. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Palicourea calanthaPalicourea calanthaPalicourea calantha is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-Source:* Jaramillo, T., Cornejo, X. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Palicourea calothyrsusPalicourea calothyrsusPalicourea calothyrsus is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-Source:* Jaramillo, T., Cornejo, X. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Palicourea calycinaPalicourea calycinaPalicourea calycina is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-Source:* Jaramillo, T., Cornejo, X. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Palicourea canarinaPalicourea canarinaPalicourea canarina is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-Source:* Jaramillo, T., Cornejo, X. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Palicourea candidaPalicourea candidaPalicourea candida is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-Source:* Jaramillo, T., Cornejo, X. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Palicourea consobrinaPalicourea consobrinaPalicourea consobrina is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Peru.-Source:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Palicourea corniculataPalicourea corniculataPalicourea corniculata is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-Source:* Jaramillo, T., Cornejo, X. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Palicourea cornigeraPalicourea cornigeraPalicourea cornigera is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-Source:* Jaramillo, T., Cornejo, X. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Palicourea fuchsioidesPalicourea fuchsioidesPalicourea fuchsioides is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-Source:* Jaramillo, T., Cornejo, X. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Palicourea gentryiPalicourea gentryiPalicourea gentryi is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-Source:* Jaramillo, T., Cornejo, X. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Palicourea heilborniiPalicourea heilborniiPalicourea heilbornii is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-Source:* Jaramillo, T., Cornejo, X. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Palicourea herreraePalicourea herreraePalicourea herrerae is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Peru.-Source:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Palicourea holmgreniiPalicourea holmgreniiPalicourea holmgrenii is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-Source:* Jaramillo, T., Cornejo, X. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Palicourea jaramilloiPalicourea jaramilloiPalicourea jaramilloi is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-Source:* Jaramillo, T., Cornejo, X. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Palicourea lasiantha
- Palicourea lasiorrhachis
- Palicourea latifoliaPalicourea latifoliaPalicourea latifolia is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Peru.-Source:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Palicourea lobbiiPalicourea lobbiiPalicourea lobbii is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.The plant is named after William Lobb , the English plant collector.-Source:...
- Palicourea macrocalyx
- Palicourea prodigaPalicourea prodigaPalicourea prodiga is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-Source:* Jaramillo, T., Cornejo, X. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Palicourea sodiroiPalicourea sodiroiPalicourea sodiroi is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-Source:* Jaramillo, T., Cornejo, X. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Palicourea stenosepalaPalicourea stenosepalaPalicourea stenosepala is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-Source:* Jaramillo, T., Cornejo, X. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Palicourea subalatoidesPalicourea subalatoidesPalicourea subalatoides is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-Source:* Jaramillo, T., Cornejo, X. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Palicourea tectoneuraPalicourea tectoneuraPalicourea tectoneura is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Ecuador.-Source:* Jaramillo, T., Cornejo, X. & Pitman, N. 2004. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Palicourea wilesiiPalicourea wilesiiPalicourea wilesii is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Jamaica. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Bellingham, P. 1998. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....