Sauropus
Encyclopedia
The genus
Sauropus, of the Phyllanthaceae
family
, comprises about 40 species
of herb
s, shrub
s or subshrub
s, sometimes with woody bases. These plants can be monoecious or dioecious
. They are distributed in Southeast Asia
, Malesia
and Australia
.
s and small stipule
s. Flowers appear at axiles and mainly form clusters. There are 6 perianth
segments divided in 2 whorls, with female flowers often having bigger perianths. At male flowers, the perianth is tube-like, with 3 stamen
. The fruit is berry-like, ovoid or globose, and fleshy.
has officially become Breynia
retusa and excluded from this genus.
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...
Sauropus, of the Phyllanthaceae
Phyllanthaceae
Phyllanthaceae is a family of flowering plants in the eudicot order Malpighiales. It is most closely related to the family Picrodendraceae. The Phyllanthaceae are most numerous in the tropics, with many in the south temperate zone, and a few ranging as far north as the middle of the north temperate...
family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
, comprises about 40 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...
of herb
Herb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
s, shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s or subshrub
Subshrub
A subshrub or dwarf shrub is a short woody plant. Prostrate shrub is a similar term.It is distinguished from a shrub by its ground-hugging stems and lower height, with overwintering perennial woody growth typically less than 10–20 cm tall, or by being only weakly woody and/or persisting...
s, sometimes with woody bases. These plants can be monoecious or dioecious
Dioecious
Dioecy is the property of a group of biological organisms that have males and females, but not members that have organs of both sexes at the same time. I.e., those whose individual members can usually produce only one type of gamete; each individual organism is thus distinctly female or male...
. They are distributed in 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...
, Malesia
Malesia
Malesia is a biogeographical region straddling the boundaries of the Indomalaya ecozone and Australasia ecozone, and also a phytogeographical floristic region in the Paleotropical Kingdom.-Floristic province:...
and 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...
.
Description
Sauropus species have alternate, entire leaves with short petiolePetiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
s and small 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. Flowers appear at axiles and mainly form clusters. There are 6 perianth
Tepal
Tepals are elements of the perianth, or outer part of a flower, which include the petals or sepals. The term tepal is more often applied specifically when all segments of the perianth are of similar shape and color, or undifferentiated, which is called perigone...
segments divided in 2 whorls, with female flowers often having bigger perianths. At male flowers, the perianth is tube-like, with 3 stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
. The fruit is berry-like, ovoid or globose, and fleshy.
Species include
- Sauropus albiflorus
- Sauropus amabilis
- Sauropus amoebiflorous
- Sauropus androgynusSauropus androgynusSauropus androgynus, also known as katuk, star gooseberry, or sweet leaf, is a shrub grown in some tropical regions as a leaf vegetable...
- star gooseberry, katuk - Sauropus assimilisSauropus assimilisSauropus assimilis is a species of plant in the Phyllanthaceae family. It is endemic to Sri Lanka.-Source:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Sauropus asteranthos
- Sauropus bacciformis
- Sauropus bicolor
- Sauropus brevipes
- Sauropus brunonis
- Sauropus convexus
- Sauropus convollerioides
- Sauropus crassifolius
- Sauropus discocalyx
- Sauropus ditassoides
- Sauropus elegantissimusSauropus elegantissimusSauropus elegantissimus is a species of plant in the Phyllanthaceae family. It is endemic to Malaysia.-Source:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
- Sauropus garrettii
- Sauropus glaucus
- Sauropus gracilis
- Sauropus granulosus
- Sauropus heteroblastus
- Sauropus hirsutus
- Sauropus hirtellus
- Sauropus kerrii
- Sauropus macranthus
- Sauropus ochrophyllus
- Sauropus orbicularis
- Sauropus pauciflorus
- Sauropus poomae
- Sauropus pulchellus
- Sauropus quadrangularis
- Sauropus ramosissimus
- Sauropus rimaphilus
- Sauropus rhamnoides
- Sauropus rhytidospermus
- Sauropus rigens
- Sauropus rostatus
- Sauropus similis
- Sauropus spatulifolius
- Sauropus suberosus
- Sauropus subterblancus
- Sauropus thorelii
- Sauropus thyrsiflorus
- Sauropus trachyspermus
- Sauropus villosus
Taxonomy note
Sauropus elegantissimusSauropus elegantissimus
Sauropus elegantissimus is a species of plant in the Phyllanthaceae family. It is endemic to Malaysia.-Source:* World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
has officially become Breynia
Breynia
Breynia is a plant genus in the family Phyllanthaceae. It has 35 species, distributed from India to Australia.-Synonymy:This genus is also known under several names:*Foersteria Scop.*Forsteria Steud.*Melanthes Blume...
retusa and excluded from this genus.
Synonymy
This genus is known under several other names:- Aalius Lam.Jean-Baptiste LamarckJean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, Chevalier de la Marck , often known simply as Lamarck, was a French naturalist...
ex KuntzeOtto KuntzeOtto Carl Ernst Kuntze was a German botanist.-Biography:Otto Kuntze was born in Leipzig.An apothecary in his early career, he published an essay entitled Pocket Fauna of Leipzig. Between 1863 and... - Breyniopsis BeilleBeilléBeillé is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire in north-western France.-References:*...
- Ceratogynum WightRobert WightRobert Wight was a Scottish surgeon and botanist who spent 30 years in India. He studied botany in Edinburgh under John Hope. He was the director of the Botanic Garden in Madras. He made use of local artists to make illustrations of the plants around him...
- Diplomorpha Griff.
- Heterocalymnantha Domin
- Hexadena Raf.Constantine Samuel Rafinesque-SchmaltzConstantine Samuel Rafinesque-Schmaltz, as he is known in Europe, was a nineteenth-century polymath who made notable contributions to botany, zoology, the study of prehistoric earthworks in North America and Mesoamerican ancient linguistics.Rafinesque was eccentric, and is often portrayed as an...
- Hexaspermum Domin
- Ibina NoronhaFrancisco NoronhaFather Francisco Noronha was a Spanish physician and botanist who resided for some time at Manila, Luzon, Philippines, where he took much effort to organize the Royal Botanic Garden and stock it with valuable plants...
- Synastemon F.Muell.
- Synostemon F.Muell.