Dombeyoideae
Encyclopedia
Dombeyoideae are a subfamily of the Malvaceae
in the wide circumscription, as proposed by the APG
. Most of the plants placed here were once assembled with more or less related genera
in the paraphyletic Sterculiaceae
; a lesser number were placed in the Tiliaceae
which were also not monophyletic.
The Dombeyoideae were originally described by Carl Beilschmied in 1833. In the present delimitation, they contain roughly 20 genera with about 380 species
, some 60% of which are in Dombeya (one of the most speciose genera of Malvaceae). They grow in the Old World
tropics
, especially Madagascar
and the Mascarenes where about two-thirds of the species occur. In the Mascarenes, they are among the most diverse angiosperm groups, analogous to such (unrelated) plants as the aeonium
s on the Canary Islands
or the silversword alliance
of the Hawaiian Islands
.
The subfamily is sometimes further divided into tribe
s (Corchoropsideae, Dombeyeae, Eriolaeneae, Helmiopsideae), but this is more often considered unwarranted. Probably, most or all of these supposed subdivisions are not monophyletic and thus technically synonyms of the whole subfamily.
Several species are noted for their beautiful timber
which is used for inlays and other artwork. Others - namely from the type genus
Dombeya
- are popular ornamental plant
s due to their beautiful flowers. Trochetia
is famous for the peculiar coloured nectar it can produce, and is often is pollinated by Phelsuma
gecko
s.
of Dombeyoideae include:
Malvaceae
Malvaceae, or the mallow family, is a family of flowering plants containing over 200 genera with close to 2,300 species. Judd & al. Well known members of this family include okra, jute and cacao...
in the wide circumscription, as proposed by the APG
Angiosperm Phylogeny Group
The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, or APG, refers to an informal international group of systematic botanists who came together to try to establish a consensus on the taxonomy of flowering plants that would reflect new knowledge about plant relationships discovered through phylogenetic studies., three...
. Most of the plants placed here were once assembled with more or less related genera
Genera
Genera is a commercial operating system and development environment for Lisp machines developed by Symbolics. It is essentially a fork of an earlier operating system originating on the MIT AI Lab's Lisp machines which Symbolics had used in common with LMI and Texas Instruments...
in the paraphyletic Sterculiaceae
Sterculiaceae
Sterculiaceae is a botanical name for a group of flowering plants at the rank of family, which is now considered obsolete. As is true for any botanical name, the circumscription, status and placement of the taxon has varied with taxonomic point of view...
; a lesser number were placed in the Tiliaceae
Tiliaceae
Tiliaceae is a botanical name for a family of flowering plants. Such a family is not part of APG II, but it is found all through the botanical literature and remains prominently listed by nomenclatural databases such as IPNI....
which were also not monophyletic.
The Dombeyoideae were originally described by Carl Beilschmied in 1833. In the present delimitation, they contain roughly 20 genera with about 380 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...
, some 60% of which are in Dombeya (one of the most speciose genera of Malvaceae). They grow in the Old World
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
tropics
Tropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
, especially Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
and the Mascarenes where about two-thirds of the species occur. In the Mascarenes, they are among the most diverse angiosperm groups, analogous to such (unrelated) plants as the aeonium
Aeonium
Aeonium is a genus of about 35 species of succulent, subtropical plants of the family Crassulaceae.The name comes from the ancient Greek "aionos" ....
s on the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
or the silversword alliance
Silversword alliance
Silversword alliance refers to an adaptive radiation of over 50 species in the composite or sunflower family, Asteraceae. The group is endemic to Hawaii, and is derived from a single immigrant to the islands...
of the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
.
The subfamily is sometimes further divided into tribe
Tribe (biology)
In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.Some examples include the tribes: Canini, Acalypheae, Hominini, Bombini, and Antidesmeae.-See also:* Biological classification* Rank...
s (Corchoropsideae, Dombeyeae, Eriolaeneae, Helmiopsideae), but this is more often considered unwarranted. Probably, most or all of these supposed subdivisions are not monophyletic and thus technically synonyms of the whole subfamily.
Several species are noted for their beautiful timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
which is used for inlays and other artwork. Others - namely from the type genus
Type genus
In biological classification, a type genus is a representative genus, as with regard to a biological family. The term and concept is used much more often and much more formally in zoology than it is in botany, and the definition is dependent on the nomenclatural Code that applies:* In zoological...
Dombeya
Dombeya
Dombeya is a flowering plant genus. Traditionally included in the family Sterculiaceae, it is included in the expanded Malvaceae in the APG and most subsequent systematics. These plants are known by a number of vernacular names which sometimes, misleadingly, allude to the superficial similarity of...
- are popular ornamental plant
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
s due to their beautiful flowers. Trochetia
Trochetia
Trochetia is a genus of flowering plants from the family Malvaceae . They are endemic to the Mascarene Islands.The genus was first described by A.P...
is famous for the peculiar coloured nectar it can produce, and is often is pollinated by Phelsuma
Phelsuma
The genus Phelsuma consists of several lizards in the gecko family, commonly referred to as Day Geckos.-Description:In contrast to most other gecko species, day geckos are active mainly during the day. Other diurnal geckos are members of the genus Lygodactylus and the genus Gonatodes...
gecko
Gecko
Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....
s.
Selected genera
GeneraGenera
Genera is a commercial operating system and development environment for Lisp machines developed by Symbolics. It is essentially a fork of an earlier operating system originating on the MIT AI Lab's Lisp machines which Symbolics had used in common with LMI and Texas Instruments...
of Dombeyoideae include:
- Astiria Lindl. – probably belongs in Dombeya
- BurretiodendronBurretiodendronBurretiodendron is a flowering plant genus. Traditionally included in the family Tiliaceae, it is included in the expanded Malvaceae in the APG and most subsequent systematics. It contains some species formerly in the Pentace. Thus, Parapentace Gagnep...
– formerly in Tiliaceae - Cheirolaena Benth
- Corchoropsis Siebold & Zucc. – formerly in Tiliaceae
- DombeyaDombeyaDombeya is a flowering plant genus. Traditionally included in the family Sterculiaceae, it is included in the expanded Malvaceae in the APG and most subsequent systematics. These plants are known by a number of vernacular names which sometimes, misleadingly, allude to the superficial similarity of...
- EriolaenaEriolaenaEriolaena is a flowering plant genus. Traditionally included in the family Sterculiaceae, it is included in the expanded Malvaceae in the APG and most subsequent systematics.Species include:* Eriolaena candollei* Eriolaena glabrescens...
- Harmsia K.Schum.
- Helmiopsiella Arenes
- Helmiopsis H.Perrier
- MelhaniaMelhaniaMelhania is a flowering plant genus. Traditionally included in the family Sterculiaceae, it is included in the expanded Malvaceae in the APG and most subsequent systematics.Species include:* Melhania milleri...
- NesogordoniaNesogordoniaNesogordonia is a flowering plant genus. Traditionally included in the family Sterculiaceae, it is included in the expanded Malvaceae in the APG and most subsequent systematics. In that clade, it belongs to the subfamily Dombeyoideae...
- Paradombeya Stapf
- Paramelhania Arenes
- Pentapetes L.
- PterospermumPterospermumPterospermum is a flowering plant genus. Traditionally included in the family Sterculiaceae, it is included in the expanded Malvaceae in the APG and most subsequent systematics. Pterospermum is based on two Greek words, "Pteron" and "Sperma," meaning "winged seed."Some species are grown...
- Ruizia Cav.
- SchouteniaSchouteniaSchoutenia is a flowering plant genus. Traditionally included in the family Tiliaceae, it is included in the expanded Malvaceae in the APG and most subsequent systematics.-Selected species:* Schoutenia cornerii* Schoutenia furfuracea...
– formerly in Tiliaceae - Sicrea – formerly in Tiliaceae
- TrochetiaTrochetiaTrochetia is a genus of flowering plants from the family Malvaceae . They are endemic to the Mascarene Islands.The genus was first described by A.P...
- TrochetiopsisTrochetiopsisThe flowering plant genus Trochetiopsis consists of two extant and one extinct species endemic to the island of Saint Helena...