| Maxwellia lepidota | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification   | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae | 
| Clade: | Tracheophytes | 
| Clade: | Angiosperms | 
| Clade: | Eudicots | 
| Clade: | Rosids | 
| Order: | Malvales | 
| Family: | Malvaceae | 
| Tribe: | Lasiopetaleae | 
| Genus: | Maxwellia Baill. | 
| Species: | M. lepidota | 
| Binomial name | |
| Maxwellia lepidota | |
Maxwellia lepidota is a species of shrubs or trees in the family Malvaceae. It is endemic to New Caledonia and the only species of the monotypic genus Maxwellia. [1] Its closest relatives are all Australian genera in tribe Lasiopetaleae: Guichenotia , Hannafordia , Lysiosepalum , Lasiopetalum and Thomasia . [2]
The genus name of Maxwellia is in honour of Maxwell T. Masters (1833–1907), an English botanist and taxonomist. [3] The Latin specific epithet of lepidota refers to the Greek word lepidotus meaning scaly. [4] Both genus and species were first described and published in Adansonia Vol.10 on page 100 in 1871. [5]