Combretum

Last updated

Combretum
Combretum collinum Bild0860.jpg
Combretum collinum with fruit
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Combretaceae
Genus: Combretum
Loefl.
Species

About 3272 see text

Synonyms [1]
  • AetiaAdans.
  • BucholziaStadtm. ex Willemet
  • BureavaBaill.
  • CacouciaAubl.
  • CalopyxisTul.
  • CampylochitonWelw. ex Hiern
  • CampylogyneWelw. ex Hemsl.
  • ChrysostachysPohl
  • CodonocrotonE.Mey. ex Engl. & Diels
  • CristariaSonn.
  • EmbryogoniaBlume
  • ForsgardiaVell.
  • GonocarpusHam.
  • GrisleaL.
  • HambergeraScop.
  • KleiniaCrantz
  • MeiostemonExell & Stace
  • MekistusLour. ex Gomes Mach.
  • PhysopodiumDesv.
  • PoivreaComm. ex DC.
  • QuisqualisL.
  • SchousboeaWilld.
  • SeguieraRchb. ex Oliv.
  • SheadendronG.Bertol.
  • SphalanthusJack
  • ThiloaEichler
  • UdaniAdans.

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.

Contents

Ecology

Combretum albidum in Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India Combretum albidum (Piluki) in Kinnarsani WS, AP W2 IMG 5783.jpg
Combretum albidum in Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India

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 ]

Use by humans

Combretum aculeatum inflorescence Combretum aculeatum MS 10043.jpg
Combretum aculeatum inflorescence
Combretum paniculatum Combretum paniculatum MS 10060.jpg
Combretum paniculatum
Combretum acutum - MHNT Combretum acutum MHNT.BOT.2009.16.15.jpg
Combretum acutum - MHNT

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.

Species

As of April 2021, there are 272 accepted species of Combretum: [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Cissus</i> Genus of grapevines

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.

<i>Cyphostemma</i> Genus of vines

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.

<i>Gymnosporia</i> Genus of flowering plants

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.

<i>Salacia</i> (plant) Genus of flowering plants

Salacia is a genus of plants in the family Celastraceae. They are woody climbers naturally found in tropical regions.

<i>Artabotrys</i> Genus of flowering plants

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.

<i>Dichapetalum</i> Genus of flowering plants

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.

<i>Dissotis</i> Genus of flowering plants

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.

<i>Hippocratea</i> Genus of Celastraceae plants

Hippocratea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Celastraceae, usually lianas, native to tropical and subtropical North America, South America and Africa.

<i>Chytranthus</i> Genus of flowering plants

Chytranthus is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Sapindaceae.

<i>Rhaphiostylis</i> Genus of plants

Rhaphiostylis is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Metteniusaceae.

References

  1. 1 2 "Combretum Loefl". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  2. C.Michael Hogan. 2012. Kunene River. Topic ed. P.Saundry. Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the Environment. Washington DC.
  3. Carthew, S (1997). "Non-flying mammals as pollinators". Trends in Ecology & Evolution. 12 (3): 104–108. doi:10.1016/S0169-5347(96)10067-7. ISSN   0169-5347. PMID   21237993.
  4. Boiteau, Pierre (1999). "Calopyxis". Dictionnaire des noms malgaches de végétaux (in French). Vol. I. Editions Alzieu. p. 196.
  5. "Combretastatin A4 However there is the possibility that a modified version of an isomer of aombretastatin-A4 can be rendered effective. After replacing adjacent carbon atoms with nitrogen atoms, using blue light, the isomer can be switched to a form that attacks microtubules of cancer cells. So far this has been tested in vitro with breast cancer cells. Phosphate in Treating Patients With Advanced Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer". clinicaltrials.gov. 10 June 2010.