Combretum | |
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Combretum collinum with fruit | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Myrtales |
Family: | Combretaceae |
Genus: | Combretum Loefl. |
Species | |
About 3272 see text | |
Synonyms [1] | |
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Combretum, the bushwillows or combretums, make up the type genus of the family Combretaceae. The genus comprises about 272 species of trees and shrubs, most of which are native to tropical and southern Africa, about 5 to Madagascar, but there are others that are native to tropical Asia, New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago, Australia, and tropical America. Though somewhat reminiscent of willows (Salix) in their habitus, they are not particularly close relatives of these.
Bushwillow trees often are important plants in their habitat. Savannahs in Africa, in particular those growing on granitic soils, are often dominated by Combretum and its close relative Terminalia . For example, C. apiculatum is a notable tree in the Angolan mopane woodlands ecoregion in the Kunene River basin in southern Africa. [2]
Other species of this genus are a major component of Southwestern Amazonian moist forests. This genus contains several species that are pollinated by mammals other than bats, which is quite rare indeed. [3] But most species are more conventionally pollinated by insects or birds.[ citation needed ]
Typhlodromus combretum , a mite of the family Phytoseiidae, was discovered on a bushwillow plant and is named after this genus. Other herbivores that eat Combretum foliage include the caterpillars of the Brown Awl (Badamia exclamationis) which is found on C. albidum, C. latifolium and C. ovalifolium ; those of the Orange-tailed Awl (Bibasis sena) are recorded from C. extensum and C. latifolium.[ citation needed ]
Several species are used in African or Indian herbal medicine.[ additional citation(s) needed ] Several species of this genus in Madagascar known collectively as voantamenaka or voatamenaka (from voa 'fruit' and menaka 'oil') are used in traditional Malagasy medicine as deworming remedies. [4] The class of chemical compounds known as combretastatins were first isolated from South African Bushwillow (Combretum caffrum), from which they get their name. One synthetic derivative, fosbretabulin disodium (combretastatin A4 phosphate), underwent preliminary study for the treatment of anaplastic thyroid cancer, [5] but it was not effective enough to progress to more advanced trials. C. molle is also recorded to contain antioxidants such as punicalagin,[ citation needed ] which is also found in pomegranates (Punica granatum), a somewhat related plant.
The botanist George Don studied this genus extensively. The Luvuvhu River in southern Africa was named after the river's bushwillows ( C. erythrophyllum ), locally known as muvuvhu.
As of April 2021, there are 272 accepted species of Combretum: [1]
Cissus is a genus of approximately 350 species of lianas in the grape family (Vitaceae). They have a cosmopolitan distribution, though the majority are to be found in the tropics.
Cyphostemma is a flowering plant genus in the family Vitaceae, with around 250 species distributed throughout the tropics and subtropics. These species are caudiciform and used to belong to the genus Cissus. The genus name comes from Greek kyphos, meaning hump, and stemma, meaning garland.
Gymnosporia is an Old World genus of plants, that comprise suffrutices, shrubs and trees. It was formerly considered congeneric with Maytenus, but more recent investigations separated it based on the presence of achyblasts and spines, alternate leaves or fascicles of leaves, an inflorescence that forms a dichasium, mostly unisexual flowers, and fruit forming a dehiscent capsule, with an aril on the seed. It is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants.
Keetia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It consists of climbers or scrambling shrubs, rarely small trees.
Salacia is a genus of plants in the family Celastraceae. They are woody climbers naturally found in tropical regions.
Artabotrys is a genus of plants in the Annonaceae family. There are over 100 species in the Old World tropics, with 31 species in Africa. It is part of the custard apple family (Annonaceae). All species are small trees or shrubs with a tendency to climb. Leaves are simple and alternate, without hairs. Bisexual flowers are borne singly or in clusters opposite the leaves. The 6-petalled flowers are scented, and the plant bears fleshy fruits.
Dichapetalum is a genus in the plant family Dichapetalaceae. The plants are tropical lianas native mainly to tropical regions of Africa, Asia, Malesia, the West Indies, Australia and Latin America. Some species are known to be poisonous due to the presence of toxic fluorinated compounds such as fluorocarboxylic acid and dichapetalins, a unique class of cytotoxic compounds that are only found within this genus.
Dissotis is a genus of plants in the family Melastomataceae. There are about 49 accepted species, which are distributed across most of Africa, except Northern Africa.
Hippocratea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Celastraceae, usually lianas, native to tropical and subtropical North America, South America and Africa.
Chytranthus is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Sapindaceae.
Rhaphiostylis is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Metteniusaceae.