Smithia is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. It includes 20 species of herbs or subshrubs native to sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Indochina, southern China, Japan, Malesia, and northern Australia. The greatest diversity of species is in the Indian subcontinent, with 11 endemic species. Six more are widespread in southern and eastern Asia, and two of these, S. conferta and S. sensitiva, range further to northern Australia. Two species are endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. S. elliotii is native to Madagascar as well as mainland Africa, and S. conferta is also native to Madagascar. Typical habitats include seasonally-dry tropical grassland, wetlands, and streamsides.[1]

Smithia
Smithia conferta in Goa, India
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Tribe: Dalbergieae
Genus: Smithia
Aiton (1789), nom. cons.
Species[1]

20; see text

Synonyms[1]
  • Damapana Adans. (1763), nom. rej.
  • Petagnana J.F.Gmel. (1792), nom. rej.

The genus belongs to the subfamily Faboideae, and was recently assigned to the informal monophyletic Dalbergia clade of the Dalbergieae.[2][3]

Species

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Smithia comprises the following species:[1][4][5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Smithia Aiton. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  2. ^ Lavin M, Pennington RT, Klitgaard BB, Sprent JI, de Lima HC, Gasson PE (2001). "The dalbergioid legumes (Fabaceae): delimitation of a pantropical monophyletic clade". Am J Bot. 88 (3): 503–33. doi:10.2307/2657116. JSTOR 2657116. PMID 11250829.
  3. ^ Cardoso D, Pennington RT, de Queiroz LP, Boatwright JS, Van Wyk B-E, Wojciechowskie MF, Lavin M (2013). "Reconstructing the deep-branching relationships of the papilionoid legumes". S Afr J Bot. 89: 58–75. doi:10.1016/j.sajb.2013.05.001. hdl:10566/3193.
  4. ^ "ILDIS LegumeWeb entry for Smithia". International Legume Database & Information Service. Cardiff School of Computer Science & Informatics. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  5. ^ USDA; ARS; National Genetic Resources Program. "GRIN species records of Smithia". Germplasm Resources Information Network—(GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  •   Media related to Smithia at Wikimedia Commons
  •   Data related to Smithia at Wikispecies