Rhytidocaulon

Rhytidocaulon
	Rhytidocaulon macrolobum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Gentianales
Family:	Apocynaceae
Subfamily:	Asclepiadoideae
Genus:	Rhytidocaulon; P.R.O.Bally

Last updated May 05, 2019

Rhytidocaulon is a plant genus in the family Apocynaceae, first described in 1962.^[1]^[2] It is native to northeastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula

Apocynaceae is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family,. Members of the family are native to the European, Asian, African, Australian, and American tropics or subtropics, with some temperate members. The former family Asclepiadaceae is considered a subfamily of Apocynaceae and contains 348 genera. A list of Apocynaceae genera may be found here.

Africa is the world's second largest and second most-populous continent, being behind Asia in both categories. At about 30.3 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area and 20% of its land area. With 1.2 billion people as of 2016, it accounts for about 16% of the world's human population. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Isthmus of Suez and the Red Sea to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The continent includes Madagascar and various archipelagos. It contains 54 fully recognised sovereign states (countries), nine territories and two de facto independent states with limited or no recognition. The majority of the continent and its countries are in the Northern Hemisphere, with a substantial portion and number of countries in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Arabian peninsula, simplified Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian plate. From a geographical perspective, it is considered a subcontinent of Asia.

Species^[3]

Rhytidocaulon paradoxum P.R.O.Bally - Ethiopia
Rhytidocaulon piliferum Lavranos - Somalia
Rhytidocaulon richardianum Lavranos - Somalia
Rhytidocaulon subscandens P.R.O.Bally - Somalia, Ethiopia
Rhytidocaulon tortum (N.E.Br.) M.G.Gilbert - Arabia

species with undetermined affinities^[3]

Rhytidocaulon arachnoideum
Rhytidocaulon baricum
Rhytidocaulon ciliatum
Rhytidocaulon fulleri
Rhytidocaulon macrolobum
Rhytidocaulon mccoyi
Rhytidocaulon pseudosubscandens
Rhytidocaulon sheilae
Rhytidocaulon specksii
Rhytidocaulon splendidum

Taxonomy

Phylogenetic studies have shown the genus to be monophyletic, and most closely related to the genus Echidnopsis which inhabits the same region. Marginally more distantly related is a sister branch comprising the genus Pseudolithos and the widespread Caralluma stapeliads of North Africa.^[4]

Echidnopsis is a genus of succulent, cactus-like plants in the Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1871. They are native to eastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

Pseudolithos is a genus of succulent flowering plants of the family Apocynaceae, indigenous to Somalia, Yemen and Oman.

Caralluma is a genus of flowering plants in the dogbane family, Apocynaceae, consisting of about 120 species. The generic name is derived from the Arabic word qahr al-luhum, meaning "wound in the flesh" or "abscess," referring to the floral odour. Most of the species occur in Africa, including several taxa valued by people for their medicinal properties.

Related Research Articles

According to APG II, the Asclepiadaceae, commonly known as milkweed family, is a former plant family now treated as a subfamily in the Apocynaceae.

Hoodia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae, under the subfamily Asclepiadoideae, native to Southern Africa.

The genera of plants within the tribe Stapeliae are all to varying degrees stem succulents. Many of the species resemble cacti, though are not closely related, as an example of convergent evolution. The stems are often angular, mostly four-angled in cross-section, but in some species there are six or more, with some species of Hoodia having more than thirty angles. In size they vary from less than 2.5 cm/1" in length to over 2 m/6" tall. The leaves are in most species reduced to rudiments, sometimes hardened and thorn-like, arranged on bumps or tubercles on the angles. Some species, however, still have recognisable leaves, most notably the Indian species Frerea indica, and some members of Tridentea. Stapeliads are most abundant in warm, dry climates. In Africa, there are two separate regions where Stapeliads have most diversified: northeast Africa, and Southern Africa. Several species are endemic to the small island of Socotra off the Horn of Africa. The Arabian Peninsula, and most specifically the country of Yemen, contain another concentration of species. Several more are found in the drier parts of Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Nepal, and Myanmar. A single species, Caralluma europea is found in Europe, in the very southern part of the Iberian peninsula. Stapeliads are often regarded as a climax group within the family because of their often structurally complex flowers. Certain aspects of these reproductive parts mirror the pollination systems in the Orchid family and represent a case of parallel evolution though both groups are quite unrelated and have developed similar, though not identical means to achieve the ultimate goal of pollination and therefore reproduction. Most stapeliads use flies as pollinators, that are attracted to odours resembling dung or rotting meat, emanating from the flowers. Many of the flowers also bear some physical resemblance to rotting animal carcasses, leading to their popular name of Carrion Flowers. However, not all stapeliads smell bad, or attract flies. Some species use beetles, bees, wasps, butterflies or moths as pollinators. Stapeliad flowers range in size from mere millimetres in species of Echidnopsis and Pseudolithos to those of Stapelia gigantea that can reach 40 cm/16" in diameter, and are some the largest of flowers to be found on any species of succulent.

The genus Huernia consists of stem succulents from Eastern and Southern Africa, first described as a genus in 1810. The flowers are five-lobed, usually somewhat more funnel- or bell-shaped than in the closely related genus Stapelia, and often striped vividly in contrasting colours or tones, some glossy, others matte and wrinkled depending on the species concerned. To pollinate, the flowers attract flies by emitting a scent similar to that of carrion. The genus is considered close to the genera Stapelia and Hoodia. The name is in honour of Justin Heurnius (1587–1652) a Dutch missionary who is reputed to have been the first collector of South African Cape plants. His name was actually misspelled by the collector.

Pennisetum is a widespread genus of plants in the grass family, native to tropical and warm temperate regions of the world. They are known commonly as fountaingrasses

The genus of the myrrhs, Commiphora, is the most species-rich genus of flowering plants in the frankincense and myrrh family, Burseraceae. The genus contains approximately 190 species of shrubs and trees, which are distributed throughout the (sub-) tropical regions of Africa, the western Indian Ocean islands, the Arabian Peninsula, India, and Vietnam. The genus is drought-tolerant and common throughout the xerophytic scrub, seasonally dry tropical forests, and woodlands of these regions.

Duvalia is a succulent plant genus in the tribe Stapeliae, milkweed subfamily Asclepiadoideae, in the family Apocynaceae (dogbane).

Larryleachia is a genus of stapeliad succulent flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae.

Lavrania is a genus of plant in family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1986. It is native to southern Africa.

Lavrania cactiformis(Hook.) Bruyns
Lavrania haagneraePlowes - Namibia
Lavrania marlothii(Marloth) Bruyns - Namibia, South Africa
Lavrania perlata(Dinter) Bruyns - Great Namaqualand in Namibia
Lavrania picta(N.E. Br.) Bruyns - Little Namaqualand in Northern Cape Province of South Africa

Edithcolea is a monotypic genus with a single species Edithcolea grandis. Once classified in the family Asclepiadaceae, it is now in the subfamily Asclepiadoideae of the dogbane family Apocynaceae. It is native to Africa and to the Arabian Peninsula.

Stapelianthus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asclepiadaceae, first described as a genus in 1933. The entire genus is endemic to Madagascar and is concentrated in the far south of the island.

Tavaresia is a genus of plants in the Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1902. It is native to southern Africa.

Tavaresia angolensisWelw. - Angola
Tavaresia barklyi(Dyer) N.E.Br. - South Africa
Tavaresia grandifloraBerger - South Africa
Tavaresia meintjesiiR.A. Dyer - Limpopo

Piaranthus is a succulent plant genus in the tribe Stapeliae, milkweed subfamily Asclepiadoideae, in the family Apocynaceae (dogbane).

Pachycymbium is a genus of plants in the Apocynaceae, first described in 1978. It is native to Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

Orbea is a genus of flowering plants of the family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1812. It is native to Africa.

Notechidnopsis is a species of plants in the Apocynaceae first described as a genus in 1985. It contains only one recognized species, Notechidnopsis tessellata , native to Cape Province in South Africa.

Peter René Oscar Bally was a Swiss botanical illustrator, botanist and taxonomist. The standard author abbreviation P.R.O.Bally is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name.

References

↑ Bally, Peter René Oscar. 1962. Candollea 18: 335
↑ Tropicos, genus Rhytidocaulon
1 2 The Plant List, Rhytidocaulon
↑ P. Bruyns, C. Klak, P. Hanacek: Evolution of the stapeliads (Apocynaceae-Asclepiadoideae) - repeated major radiation across Africa in an Old World group. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 2014. v. 77, no. 1, p. 251--263. ISSN 1055-7903.

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[1] Bally, Peter René Oscar. 1962. Candollea 18: 335

[2] Tropicos, genus Rhytidocaulon

[q-3] 1 2 The Plant List, Rhytidocaulon

[4] P. Bruyns, C. Klak, P. Hanacek: Evolution of the stapeliads (Apocynaceae-Asclepiadoideae) - repeated major radiation across Africa in an Old World group. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 2014. v. 77, no. 1, p. 251--263. ISSN 1055-7903.