Aporosa Explained

Aporosa is a genus of flowering plant belonging to the family Phyllanthaceae, first described as a genus in 1825.^[1] It is native to China, the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Papuasia, and Queensland.^{[2] [3] [4] [5]}

When the genus was erected by Carl Ludwig Blume in 1825, he used the spelling Aporosa but in a publication the next year he used the spelling Aporusa and some publications and Airy Shaw in 1966 argued that the second spelling was preferred due to common usage. However the original spelling has been preferred according to the botanical code.^[6]

These plants are mostly dioecious trees or shrubs.^[7] Four species (A. hermaphrodita, A. heterodoxa, A. brevicaudata, and A. egreria) have consistently bisexual flowers, although they may be functionally dioecious.^[8] The seeds have brightly colored arils that are attractive to birds, which disperse the seeds.

Based on fossil evidence, the genus has been hypothesized as having its origins in the Indian Subcontinent from where it may have dispersed into Southeast Asia.^[9]

There are about 80 species.

Species^[2]

formerly included^[2] moved to other genera: Antidesma Baccaurea Drypetes Shirakiopsis

Notes and References

1. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/422113#page/234/mode/1up Blume, Carl Ludwig von. 1825. Flora Javae 1: vi
2. http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=13187 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
3. Govaerts, R., Frodin, D.G. & Radcliffe-Smith, A. (2000). World Checklist and Bibliography of Euphorbiaceae (and Pandaceae) 1-4: 1-1622. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
4. Schot, A.M. (2004). Systematics of Aporosa (Euphorbiaceae). Blumea. Supplement 17: 1-381.
5. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=102334 Flora of China Vol. 11 Page 215 银柴属 yin chai shu Aporosa Blume, Bijdr. 514. 1825.
6. Blume. 40. 1995. 449-460. Schot, Anne M.. A synopsis of taxonomic changes in Aporosa Blume (Euphorbiaceae).
7. 10.1890/0012-9658(2002)083[2005:HPOAIT]2.0.CO;2. 0012-9658. 2002. 83. 2005. Habitat Preferences of Aporosa in Two Malaysian Forests: Implications for Abundance and Coexistence. Debski. Igor. Burslem. David F. R. P.. Palmiotto. Peter A.. Lafrankie. James V.. Lee. H. S.. Manokaran. N.. Ecology. 7.
8. 10.3732/ajb.91.11.1882. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of Phyllanthaceae (Phyllanthoideae pro parte, Euphorbiaceae sensu lato) using plastid RBCL DNA sequences. 2004. Wurdack. Kenneth J.. Hoffmann. Petra. Samuel. Rosabelle. Bruijn. Anette. Bank. Michelle. Chase. Mark W.. American Journal of Botany. 91. 11. 1882–1900. 21652335. free.
9. Shukla . Anumeha . Mehrotra . Rakesh C. . Spicer . Robert A. . Spicer . Teresa E.V. . 2016 . Aporosa Blume from the paleoequatorial rainforest of Bikaner, India: Its evolution and diversification in deep time . Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology . en . 232 . 14–21 . 10.1016/j.revpalbo.2016.05.006.