Afrocanthium is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It consists of deciduous, unarmed trees, and shrubs. They are native to East Africa, from Sudan and Ethiopia to South Africa.[1]
| Afrocanthium | |
|---|---|
| |
| A. gilfillanii in South Africa | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Rubiaceae |
| Subfamily: | Dialypetalanthoideae |
| Tribe: | Vanguerieae |
| Genus: | Afrocanthium (Bridson) Lantz & B.Bremer |
| Type species | |
| Afrocanthium lactescens | |
Taxonomy
editAfrocanthium was first recognized as a distinct group in 1991, when it was named as a subgenus of Canthium.[2] It was described and compared to the other subgenera in 1992.[1] In 2004, a molecular phylogenetic study of DNA sequences showed that Afrocanthium is monophyletic and not most closely related to the other subgenera of Canthium.[3] The authors of this study raised Afrocanthium, unaltered, to generic status. It is sister to Keetia, a genus that was segregated from Canthium in 1986.[4]
Species
edit- Afrocanthium burttii (Bullock) Lantz
- Afrocanthium gilfillanii (N.E.Br.) Lantz
- Afrocanthium keniense (Bullock) Lantz
- Afrocanthium kilifiense (Bridson) Lantz
- Afrocanthium lactescens (Hiern) Lantz
- Afrocanthium mundianum (Cham. & Schltdl.) Lantz
- Afrocanthium ngonii (Bridson) Lantz
- Afrocanthium parasiebenlistii (Bridson) Lantz
- Afrocanthium peteri (Bridson) Lantz
- Afrocanthium pseudorandii (Bridson) Lantz
- Afrocanthium pseudoverticillatum (S.Moore) Lantz
- Afrocanthium racemulosum (S.Moore) Lantz
- Afrocanthium rondoense (Bridson) Lantz
- Afrocanthium salubenii (Bridson) Lantz
- Afrocanthium shabanii (Bridson) Lantz
- Afrocanthium siebenlistii (K.Krause) Lantz
- Afrocanthium vollesenii (Bridson) Lantz
References
edit- ^ a b Bridson DM (1992). "The genus Canthium (Rubiaceae - Vanguerieae) in tropical Africa". Kew Bulletin. 47 (3): 353–401. Bibcode:1992KewBu..47..353B. doi:10.2307/4110569. JSTOR 4110569.
- ^ Verdcourt B, Bridson DM (1991). "Rubiaceae". In Polhill RM (ed.). Flora of Tropical East Africa (3 ed.). Rotterdam/Brookfield: AA Balkema. p. 864.
- ^ Lantz H, Bremer B (2004). "Phylogeny inferred from morphology and DNA data: characterizing well-supported groups in Vanguerieae (Rubiaceae)". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 146 (3): 257–283. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2004.00338.x.
- ^ Bridson DM (1986). "The reinstatement of the African genus Keetia (Rubiaceae subfam. Cinchonoideae tribe Vanguerieae)". Kew Bulletin. 41 (4): 965–994. Bibcode:1986KewBu..41..965B. doi:10.2307/4102996. JSTOR 4102996.