| Pleroma | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pleroma mutabile | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Melastomataceae |
| Genus: | Pleroma D.Don [1] |
| Species | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
| |
Pleroma is a genus of flowering plant in the family Melastomataceae, native from Puerto Rico and the Leeward Islands to tropical South America (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru and Venezuela). [2]
Species of Pleroma are subshrubs, shrubs or trees. Their leaves are almost always opposite and petiolate, rarely sessile. The inflorescence is a terminal panicle or some modification of one. The flowers are perigynous with a bell- or urn-shaped hypanthium (base of the flower), usually externally covered with short, soft hairs (pubescent). There are usually five petals (sometimes four), purple to lilac, rarely white. The flowers have ten stamens (sometimes eight), often of two distinct sizes, with purple or pink anthers. The connective at the base of an anther is modified into a ventral bilobed appendage. The numerous seeds are contained in a dry semiwoody capsule and are spiral in shape, possibly elongated. [3]
The genus Pleroma was established by David Don in 1822. He derived the name from Ancient Greek πλήρωμα, pleroma, meaning "fullness", referring to the way the seeds filled the capsule. [4] Although Don used the genus name as a feminine noun, giving specific epithets feminine endings, [4] the Greek word is neuter, and subsequent authors have used neuter endings (e.g. Pleroma heteromallum rather than Don's Pleroma heteromalla). [3]
In 1885, in his treatment for Flora brasiliensis, Alfred Cogniaux used a broad concept of the genus Tibouchina , transferring into it species at that time placed in Pleroma and other genera. This broad concept was generally adopted subsequently, and around 470 taxa were at one time or another assigned to Tibouchina. [3] A phylogenetic analysis in 2013 based on molecular data (2 plastid and 1 nuclear regions) determined that the broad circumscription of Tibouchina was paraphyletic. Four major clades were resolved within the genus which were supported by morphological, molecular and geographic evidence. [5] A further molecular phylogenetic study in 2019 used the same molecular markers but included more species. It reached the same conclusion: the original broadly circumscribed Tibouchina consisted of four monophyletic clades. The authors proposed a split into four genera: a more narrowly circumscribed Tibouchina, two re-established genera Pleroma and Chaetogastra , and a new genus, Andesanthus . The part of their maximum likelihood cladogram which includes former Tibouchina species is as follows, [3] using their genus names and with shading added to show the original broadly circumscribed Tibouchina s.l. (The relationship between Chaetogastra and the genus Brachyotum differed between analyses.)
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Pleroma is shown to be sister to Tibouchina. [3]
As of April 2022 [update] , Plants of the World Online accepted the following 162 species: [2]
Pleroma species are mostly native to eastern Brazil in the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes, more rarely in the Caatinga. [3] A few species reach other parts of South America and the Caribbean (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, the Leeward Islands, Peru, Puerto Rico and Venezuela). [3] [2] They are found in forests and forest margins, river banks, high altitude grasslands, rocky outcrops and restingas, from sea level up to an elevation of 2,650 m. [3]
Melastomataceae is a family of dicotyledonous flowering plants found mostly in the tropics comprising c. 175 genera and c. 5115 known species. Melastomes are annual or perennial herbs, shrubs, or small trees.
Tibouchina is a neotropical flowering plant genus in the family Melastomataceae. Species of this genus are subshrubs, shrubs or small trees and typically have purple flowers. They are native to Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America where they are found as far south as northern Argentina. Members of this genus are known as glory bushes, glory trees or princess flowers. The name Tibouchina is adapted from a Guianan indigenous name for a member of this genus. A systematic study in 2013 showed that as then circumscribed the genus was paraphyletic, and in 2019 the genus was split into a more narrowly circumscribed Tibouchina, two re-established genera Pleroma and Chaetogastra, and a new genus, Andesanthus.
Monochaetum is a neotropical genus of shrubs and subshrubs with about 54 species. It occurs in warm temperate to tropical montane habitats from Mexico and Central America to the South American Andes of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru with one species reaching the Guayana Highlands of Venezuela and Guyana.
Blakea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Melastomataceae. There are about 189 species distributed from Mexico to Bolivia and the Antilles. They are climbers, shrubs, and trees, some epiphytic.
Henriettea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Melastomataceae, with some 399 species accepted. It is distributed in the Americas. Some species in the genus are known commonly as camasey., though the common name camasey may also refer to plants of genus Miconia.
Fritzschia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Melastomataceae, native to the Atlantic coastal forest of Brazil. They are sprawling or erect shrubs, with their branchlets and their hypanthia coated with either glandular or villose trichomes.
Microlicia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Melastomataceae, native to northern South America, particularly Brazil. They tend to be subshrubs.
Acisanthera is a genus of flowering plants in the family Melastomataceae. It contains 11 species and is found in South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. It was described by Patrick Browne in 1756.
Cambessedesia is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae.
Chaetogastra is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae. Its native range is South America and North America. It contains around 115 species.
Comolia is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae.
Marcetia is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae.
Ernestia is a genus of plant in family Melastomataceae.
Tibouchina albescens is a species of flowering plant in the family Melastomataceae, native to Bolivia and Brazil. It was first formally described in 2015.
Andesanthus is a genus of flowering plant in the family Melastomataceae, native to Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Venezuela. The genus was established in 2019 for some species formerly placed in Tibouchina. Some species are cultivated as ornamental shrubs or trees.
Tibouchina nigricans is a species of flowering plant in the family Melastomataceae, native to west-central Brazil. It was first described in 2015 with the name attributed to the earlier botanist Alfred Cogniaux. The type specimens are kept at the Missouri Botanical Gardens and at Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum Berlin-Dahlem, Berlin.
Pleroma francavillanum is a species of flowering plant in the family Melastomataceae, native to Brazil. It was first described by Alfred Cogniaux in 1885 as Tibouchina francavillana.
Pleroma pereirae is a species of flowering plant in the family Melastomataceae, native to Brazil. It was first described in 1961 as Tibouchina pereirae.
Nomen duxi ab voce Græca πληρωμα, plenitudo, quòd loculi capsulæ placentis carnosis seminiferis farcti sunt.[I took the name from the Greek word πληρωμα, fullness, as the loculi of the capsules are stuffed with fleshy seed-producing cakes.]
