Psydrax
Encyclopedia
Psydrax is a genus
of flowering plant
s in the Rubiaceae
family
. It consists of tree
s, shrub
s, and a few liana
s of the paleotropics
.
by Joseph Gaertner
in 1788 in his book, De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum
. Psydrax is a Greek
word meaning a blister or bump. Gaertner may have chosen this name to refer to the warty fruit or the pimply seeds of some species. The name was hardly ever used after Gaertner proposed it because most authors placed these species in Canthium
. Psydrax was reinstated in 1985 and 37 African species were transferred to it from Canthium
. Psydrax was shown to be monophyletic in a molecular phylogenetic study
. It is closely related to Afrocanthium
, Cyclophyllum
and Keetia
, genera that have been segregated
from Canthium
.
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...
of 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...
s in 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 ,...
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...
. It consists of 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, 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, and a few liana
Liana
A liana is any of various long-stemmed, woody vines that are rooted in the soil at ground level and use trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy to get access to well-lit areas of the forest. Lianas are especially characteristic of tropical moist deciduous...
s of the paleotropics
Paleotropical Kingdom
The Paleotropical Kingdom is a floristic kingdom comprising tropical areas of Africa, Asia and Oceania , as proposed by Ronald Good and Armen Takhtajan. Its flora is characterized by about 40 endemic plant families, e.g. Nepenthaceae, Musaceae, Pandanaceae, Flagellariaceae...
.
Taxonomy
The genus was namedBotanical name
A botanical name is a formal scientific name conforming to the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature and, if it concerns a plant cultigen, the additional cultivar and/or Group epithets must conform to the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants...
by Joseph Gaertner
Joseph Gaertner
Joseph Gaertner was a German botanist, best known for his work on seeds, De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum ....
in 1788 in his book, De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum
De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum
De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum, also known by its standard botanical abbreviation Fruct. Sem. Pl., is a three-volume botanic treatise by Joseph Gaertner. The first volume was published in December 1788. The second volume was published in four parts, in 1790, 1791, 1791 and 1792 respectively...
. Psydrax is a Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
word meaning a blister or bump. Gaertner may have chosen this name to refer to the warty fruit or the pimply seeds of some species. The name was hardly ever used after Gaertner proposed it because most authors placed these species in Canthium
Canthium
Canthium is a genus of flowering plants in the Rubiaceae family. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually thorny.-Distribution:They are native to India, Sri Lanka, and tropical East Africa.-Taxonomy:...
. Psydrax was reinstated in 1985 and 37 African species were transferred to it from Canthium
Canthium
Canthium is a genus of flowering plants in the Rubiaceae family. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually thorny.-Distribution:They are native to India, Sri Lanka, and tropical East Africa.-Taxonomy:...
. Psydrax was shown to be monophyletic in a molecular phylogenetic study
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
. It is closely related to Afrocanthium
Afrocanthium
Afrocanthium is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It consists of deciduous, unarmed, trees, and shrubs. They are native to East Africa, from Sudan and Ethiopia to South Africa.-Taxonomy:...
, Cyclophyllum
Cyclophyllum
Cyclophyllum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It is found from New Guinea to the Pacific.-Species:* Cyclophyllum baladense Guillaumin* Cyclophyllum balansae Guillaumin...
and Keetia
Keetia
Keetia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It consists of climbers or scrambling shrubs, rarely small trees.-Taxonomy:...
, genera that have been segregated
Segregate (taxonomy)
In taxonomy, a segregate, or a segregate taxon is created when a taxon is split off, from another taxon. This other taxon will be better known, usually bigger, and will continue to exist, even after the segregate taxon has been split off...
from Canthium
Canthium
Canthium is a genus of flowering plants in the Rubiaceae family. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually thorny.-Distribution:They are native to India, Sri Lanka, and tropical East Africa.-Taxonomy:...
.
Species
- Psydrax acutiflora (Hiern) Bridson
- Psydrax ammophila S.T.Reynolds & R.J.F.Hend.
- Psydrax amplifolia (Elmer)A.P.Davis
- Psydrax ankotekonensis (Cavaco) A.P.Davis & Bridson
- Psydrax arnoldiana (De Wild. & T.Durand) Bridson
- Psydrax attenuata (R.Br. ex Benth.) S.T.Reynolds & R.J.F.Hend.
- Psydrax austro-orientalis (Cavaco) A.P.Davis & Bridson
- Psydrax banksii S.T.Reynolds & R.J.F.Hend.
- Psydrax bathieana (Cavaco)A.P.Davis & Bridson
- Psydrax bridsonianaPsydrax bridsonianaPsydrax bridsoniana is a species of flowering plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Cameroon. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
Cheek & Sonké - Psydrax calcicola (Craib)A.P.Davis
- Psydrax cymigera (Valeton)S.T.Reynolds & R.J.F.Hend.
- Psydrax dicoccos Gaertn.
- Psydrax dunlapii (Hutch. & Dalziel) Bridson
- Psydrax esirensis (Cavaco) A.P.Davis & Bridson
- Psydrax fasciculata (Blume) A.P.Davis
- Psydrax faulkneraePsydrax faulkneraePsydrax faulknerae is a species of flowering plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania.-Source:* Lovett, J. & Clarke, G.P. 1998. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
Bridson - Psydrax ficiformis (Hook.f.) Bridson
- Psydrax forsteri S.T.Reynolds & R.J.F.Hend.
- Psydrax fragrantissima (K.Schum.) Bridson
- Psydrax gilletii (De Wild.) Bridson
- Psydrax graciliflora (Merr. & L.M.Perry) S.T.Reynolds & R.J.F.Hend.
- Psydrax grandifolia (Thwaites) Ridsdale
- Psydrax graniticola (Chiov.) Bridson
- Psydrax horizontalis (SChumach. & Thonn.) Bridson
- Psydrax johnsonii S.T.Reynolds & R.J.F.Hend.
- Psydrax kaessneri (S.Moore) Bridson
- Psydrax kibuwaePsydrax kibuwaePsydrax kibuwae is a species of flowering plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to Tanzania.-Source:* Lovett, J. & Clarke, G.P. 1998. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
Bridson - Psydrax kingii (Hook.f.) Bridson & Springate
- Psydrax kraussioides (Hiern) Bridson
- Psydrax lamprophylla (F.Muell.) Bridson
- Psydrax latifolia (F.Muell. ex Benth.) S.T.Reynolds & R.J.F.Hend.
- Psydrax laxiflorens S.T.Reynolds & R.J.F.Hend.
- Psydrax lepida S.T.Reynolds & R.J.F.Hend.
- Psydrax livida (Hiern) Bridson
- Psydrax locuples (K.Schum.) Bridson
- Psydrax longipes S.T.Reynolds & R.J.F.Hend.
- Psydrax longistyla (Merr.) A.P.Davis
- Psydrax lynesii Bullock ex Bridson
- Psydrax maingayi (Hook.f.) Bridson
- Psydrax manambyana (Cavaco) A.P.Davis & Bridson
- Psydrax manensis (Aubrév. & Pellegr.) Bridson
- Psydrax martinii (Dunkley) Bridson
- Psydrax micansPsydrax micansPsydrax micans is a species of flowering plant in the Rubiaceae family . It is found in Mozambique and Tanzania.-Source:* Lovett, J. & Clarke, G.P. 1998. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
(Bullock) Bridson - Psydrax moandensis Bridson
- Psydrax moggii Bridson
- Psydrax montana (Thwaites) Ridsdale
- Psydrax montigena S.T.Reynolds & R.J.F.Hend.
- Psydrax mutimushii Bridson
- Psydrax nitida (Craib) K.M.Wong
- Psydrax obovata (Klotzsch ex Eckl. & Zeyh.) Bridson
- Psydrax occidentalis (Cavaco) A.P.Davis & Bridson
- Psydrax odorataPsydrax odorataPsydrax odorata, known as Alahee in Hawaiian, is a species of flowering shrub or small tree in the coffee family, Rubiaceae, that is native to the Pacific Islands, Malesia and Australasia...
(G.Forst.Georg ForsterJohann Georg Adam Forster was a German naturalist, ethnologist, travel writer, journalist, and revolutionary. At an early age, he accompanied his father on several scientific expeditions, including James Cook's second voyage to the Pacific...
) A.C.Sm.Albert Charles SmithAlbert Charles Smith was an American botanist.-Life:He was a director of the National Museum of Natural History, and chaired several important scientific societies, such as the American Society of Plant Taxonomists....
& S.P.Darwin - Psydrax oleifoliaPsydrax oleifoliaPsydrax oleifolia, commonly known as Wild Lemon or Brush Myrtle, is a species of shrub or small tree in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to eastern and inland Australia....
(Hook.) S.T.Reynolds & R.J.F.Hend. - Psydrax pallida S.T.Reynolds & R.J.F.Hend.
- Psydrax palma (K.Schum.) Bridson
- Psydrax paludosa S.T.Reynolds & R.J.F.Hend.
- Psydrax paradoxaPsydrax paradoxaPsydrax paradoxa is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae family. It is endemic to New Caledonia.-References:* Jaffré, T. et al. 1998. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
(Virot) Mouly - Psydrax parviflora (Afzel.) Bridson
- Psydrax pendulina S.T.Reynolds & R.J.F.Hend.
- Psydrax pergracilis (Bourd.) Ridsdale
- Psydrax polhillii Bridson
- Psydrax recurvifolia (Bullock) Bridson
- Psydrax reticulata (C.T.White) S.T.Reynolds & R.J.F.Hend.
- Psydrax richardsiae Bridson
- Psydrax rigidula S.T.Reynolds & R.J.F.Hend.
- Psydrax robertsoniae Bridson
- Psydrax saligna S.T.Reynolds & R.J.F.Hend.
- Psydrax sambiranensis (Cavaco) A.P.Davis & Bridson
- Psydrax schimperiana (A.Rich.) Bridson
- Psydrax sepikensis A.P.Davis
- Psydrax shuguriensis Bridson
- Psydrax splendens (K.Schum.) Bridson
- Psydrax suaveolens (S.Moore) S.T.Reynolds & R.J.F.Hend.
- Psydrax subcordata (DC.) Bridson
- Psydrax suborbicularis (C.T.White) S.T.Reynolds & R.J.F.Hend.
- Psydrax tropica S.T.Reynolds & R.J.F.Hend.
- Psydrax umbellata (Wight) Bridson
- Psydrax virgata (Hiern) Bridson
- Psydrax whitei Bridson
External links
- World Checklist of Rubiaceae
- Psydrax At: De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum At: Google Books
- De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum At: Archive.org
- http://www.ipni.org/ipni/advPlantNameSearch.do;jsessionid=36F51DC1D48A23C7EB1DD138E0CBFE9C?find_family=&find_genus=Psydrax+&find_species=&find_infrafamily=&find_infragenus=&find_infraspecies=&find_authorAbbrev=&find_includePublicationAuthors=on&find_includePublicationAuthors=off&find_includeBasionymAuthors=on&find_includeBasionymAuthors=off&find_publicationTitle=&find_isAPNIRecord=on&find_isAPNIRecord=false&find_isGCIRecord=on&find_isGCIRecord=false&find_isIKRecord=on&find_isIKRecord=false&find_rankToReturn=all&output_format=normal&find_sortByFamily=on&find_sortByFamily=off&query_type=by_query&back_page=plantsearchPsydrax] At: Plant Name Query At: IPNI
- CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names: M-Q At: Botany & Plant Science At: Life Science At: CRC Press
- Psydrax At:Index Nominum Genericorum At: References At: NMNH Department of Botany
- Psydrax At: List of Genera At: Rubiaceae At: List of families At: Families and Genera in GRIN At: Queries At: GRIN taxonomy for plants