Diplostephium
Encyclopedia
Diplostephium is a genus of trees and shrubs composed of approximately 110 species (Ulloa & Jørgensen, 2004). It is distributed on high mountains zones from Venezuela to Chile with the exception of two species in Costa Rica (INBio information system, July 2005) and twelve in the "Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta" (Colombia). It makes part of the high andean forest and the paramo ecosystems. Colombia has the most species with 63 (Vargas & Madriñán, 2006), the majority of them found in the Oriental Cordillera, which has 33 registered species until this moment. Diplostephium is the third most diverse genus on the paramos with 70 species after Pentacalia and Senecio (Luteyn, 1999).
According to José Cuatrecasas
, (1986) the genus is an element of Neotropical origin that could have reached the paramos from the souther latitudes of South America; where the primitive arboreal species can be found in the high Andean forest while the most advanced members can be found in the paramos and super-paramos. This reinforces previous theories from Cuatrecasas (1969), who proposed as atavistic characteristics the morphologies present in the arboreal species of high andean forest. Based on this, Cuatrecasas made a phylogenetic ordination into natural groups or series where the deriveted species are more diverse and are found at high altitudes.
According to José Cuatrecasas
José Cuatrecasas
José Cuatrecasas was a botanist. He was born on March 19, 1903 in Camprodon, Catalonia, Spain.His research focused on the high-elevation páramo and sub-páramo regions of the Andes Mountains in South America, especially the flowering plant families Asteraceae and Malpighiaceae.In 1997, the...
, (1986) the genus is an element of Neotropical origin that could have reached the paramos from the souther latitudes of South America; where the primitive arboreal species can be found in the high Andean forest while the most advanced members can be found in the paramos and super-paramos. This reinforces previous theories from Cuatrecasas (1969), who proposed as atavistic characteristics the morphologies present in the arboreal species of high andean forest. Based on this, Cuatrecasas made a phylogenetic ordination into natural groups or series where the deriveted species are more diverse and are found at high altitudes.
Selected species
- Diplostephium antisanenseDiplostephium antisanenseDiplostephium antisanense is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.It is found only in Ecuador.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montanes, subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland, and subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland.It is threatened by...
- Diplostephium asplundiiDiplostephium asplundiiDiplostephium asplundii is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.It is found only in Ecuador.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montanes and subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland....
- Diplostephium barclayanumDiplostephium barclayanumDiplostephium barclayanum is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.It is found only in Ecuador.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montanes and subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland....
- Diplostephium crypteriophyllumDiplostephium crypteriophyllumDiplostephium crypteriophyllum is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.It is found only in Ecuador.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
- Diplostephium ericoidesDiplostephium ericoidesDiplostephium ericoides is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.It is found only in Ecuador.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montanes and subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland....
- Diplostephium espinosaeDiplostephium espinosaeDiplostephium espinosae is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.It is found only in Ecuador.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montanes and subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland....
- Diplostephium juniperinumDiplostephium juniperinumDiplostephium juniperinum is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.It is found only in Ecuador.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
- Diplostephium macrocephalumDiplostephium macrocephalumDiplostephium macrocephalum is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.It is found only in Ecuador.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montanes, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland, and subtropical or tropical...
- Diplostephium oblanceolatumDiplostephium oblanceolatumDiplostephium oblanceolatum is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.It is found only in Ecuador.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montanes and subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland....
- Diplostephium ramiglabrumDiplostephium ramiglabrumDiplostephium ramiglabrum is a species of flowering plant in the Asteraceae family.It is found only in Ecuador at an elevation range of 2,500-3000m.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.It is threatened by habitat loss....