Alphitonia
Encyclopedia
Alphitonia is an arborescent genus
of flowering plant
s with about 20 species
, belonging to the buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae
) of the rosid eudicots. It occurs in tropical regions of Southeast Asia
, Oceania
and Polynesia
. These are large trees or shrubs. In Australia
, these plants are often called "ash trees" or "sarsaparilla trees". This is rather misleading however; among the flowering plant
s, Alphitonia is not closely related to the true ash trees (Fraxinus of the asterids), and barely at all to the monocot sarsaparilla vines (Smilax
).
The name is derived from a Greek word meaning "pearl barley
".
The lanceolate coriaceous leaves are alternate, about 12 cm long. The margins are smooth. Venation is pinnate. They have white to rusty complex hairs on the under surface. The petiole is less than a quarter the length of a blade. Stipule
s are present.
The small flower
s form terminal or axillary clusters of small creamy blossoms during spring. The flowers are bisexual. Hypanthium
is present. The flowers show 5 sepals, 5 petals and 5 stamens. The ovary is inferior. The fruit
s are ovoid, blackish non-fleshy capsules, with one seed per locule.
Alphitonia species are used as food plants by the larva
the hepialid
moth
Aenetus mirabilis, which feed only on these trees. They burrow horizontally into the trunk, then vertically down.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of flowering plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s with about 20 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
, belonging to the buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae
Rhamnaceae
Rhamnaceae, the Buckthorn family, is a large family of flowering plants, mostly trees, shrubs and some vines.The family contains 50-60 genera and approximately 870-900 species. The Rhamnaceae have a worldwide distribution, but are more common in the subtropical and tropical regions...
) of the rosid eudicots. It occurs in tropical regions of Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
and Polynesia
Polynesia
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
. These are large trees or shrubs. In Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, these plants are often called "ash trees" or "sarsaparilla trees". This is rather misleading however; among the flowering plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s, Alphitonia is not closely related to the true ash trees (Fraxinus of the asterids), and barely at all to the monocot sarsaparilla vines (Smilax
Smilax
Smilax is a genus of about 300-350 species, found in temperate zones, tropics and subtropics worldwide. In China for example about 80 are found , while there are 20 in North America north of Mexico...
).
The name is derived from a Greek word meaning "pearl barley
Pearl barley
Pearl barley is barley processed to remove its hull and bran. Barley must have its fibrous outer hull removed before it can be eaten; pearl barley is taken a step further, polished to remove the nutritious bran layer....
".
The lanceolate coriaceous leaves are alternate, about 12 cm long. The margins are smooth. Venation is pinnate. They have white to rusty complex hairs on the under surface. The petiole is less than a quarter the length of a blade. Stipule
Stipule
In botany, stipule is a term coined by Linnaeus which refers to outgrowths borne on either side of the base of a leafstalk...
s are present.
The small flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s form terminal or axillary clusters of small creamy blossoms during spring. The flowers are bisexual. Hypanthium
Hypanthium
A hypanthium is a floral structure consisting of the bases of the sepals, petals, and stamens fused together. Its presence is diagnostic of many families, including the Rosaceae, Grossulariaceae, and Fabaceae...
is present. The flowers show 5 sepals, 5 petals and 5 stamens. The ovary is inferior. The fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s are ovoid, blackish non-fleshy capsules, with one seed per locule.
Alphitonia species are used as food plants by the larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
the hepialid
Hepialidae
The Hepialidae is a family of insects in the lepidopteran order. Moths of this family are often referred to as swift moths or ghost moths.-Taxonomy and systematics:...
moth
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
Aenetus mirabilis, which feed only on these trees. They burrow horizontally into the trunk, then vertically down.
Selected species
- Alphitonia carolinensis
- Alphitonia erubescensAlphitonia erubescensAlphitonia erubescens is a species of plant in the Rhamnaceae family. It is endemic to New Caledonia.-References:* Jaffré, T. et al. 1998. . Downloaded on 20 August 2007....
BaillonLouis Antoine François BaillonLouis Antoine François Baillon was a French naturalist and collector. He was born in Montreuil-sur-Mer and died in Abbeville....
(New CaledoniaNew CaledoniaNew Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
) - Alphitonia excelsaAlphitonia excelsaAlphitonia excelsa, commonly known as the Red Ash or Soap Tree, is a species of tree in the Rhamnaceae family. It is endemic to Australia, being found in New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory and the northeastern tip of Western Australia...
(Fenzl) Reissek ex Benth.George BenthamGeorge Bentham CMG FRS was an English botanist, characterized by Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century".- Formative years :...
– Soap Tree, Red Ash (AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
) - Alphitonia ferruginea
- Alphitonia franguloides
- Alphitonia incana
- Alphitonia macrocarpa
- Alphitonia marquesensisAlphitonia marquesensisAlphitonia marquesensis is a species of plant in the Rhamnaceae family. It is endemic to French Polynesia.-References:* Florence, J. 1998. . Downloaded on 20 August 2007....
F.Brown – Makee (Marquesas IslandsMarquesas IslandsThe Marquesas Islands enana and Te Fenua `Enata , both meaning "The Land of Men") are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the southern Pacific Ocean. The Marquesas are located at 9° 00S, 139° 30W...
) - Alphitonia moluccana
- Alphitonia neo-caledonica
- Alphitonia obtusifolia
- Alphitonia petrieiAlphitonia petrieiAlphitonia petriei known as the White Ash is a rainforest tree in the Buckthorn family. It grows in eastern and northern Australia. Other common names include Red Ash, White-leaf, Pink Almond and Pink Ash. It was originally collected from the Johnston River near Kuranda, and named in 1925 by K.W....
– Pink Ash, White Ash (Australia) - Alphitonia ponderosaAlphitonia ponderosaAlphitonia ponderosa is a species of flowering tree in the buckthorn family, Rhamnaceae, that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. It is locally known as kauila, as is the related Colubrina oppositifolia.-Description:A...
Hillebr.William HillebrandWilliam Hillebrand was a German physician. He traveled the world, including over 20 years in the Hawaiian islands. In 1850, Hillebrand lived at what is now Foster Botanical Garden in Honolulu. He also became known as a botanist.-Life and career:...
– Kauila (HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
) - Alphitonia philippinensis
- Alphitonia rubiginota
- Alphitonia whitei – Red Ash (Australia)
- Alphitonia zizyphoides (Solander) A.Gray – Toi (PolynesiaPolynesiaPolynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians and they share many similar traits including language, culture and beliefs...
)