Cosmibuena Explained

Cosmibuena is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae.^[1] The genus is native to Chiapas, Central America, and South America as far south as Brazil.^[2]

These are succulent shrubs and trees, often growing as epiphytes. The leaves are oppositely arranged. The inflorescence is a terminal cluster or sometimes a solitary flower. The flowers are large, showy, and fragrant. They are white, fading yellow. They open at night and dry out and die the next day. The fruit is a woody capsule containing papery winged seeds.^[3]

These plants grow in wet lowlands, mountain forests, and mangroves.^[3]

Species

Four species are recognized as of May 2014:^[2]

• Cosmibuena grandiflora (Ruiz & Pav.) Rusby - Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil
• Cosmibuena macrocarpa (Benth.) Klotzsch ex Walp. - Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador
• Cosmibuena matudae (Standl.) L.O.Williams - Chiapas, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua
• Cosmibuena valerioi (Standl.) C.M.Taylor - Costa Rica, Panama

External links

• Cosmibuena in the World Checklist of Rubiaceae
• Cosmibuena grandiflora. Discover Life.
• Cosmibuena macrocarpa. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

Notes and References

1. Ruiz López, Hipólito & José Antonio Pavón Jiménez. 1802. Florae Peruvianae, et Chilensis Prodromus 3: 2–3.
2. http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=48335 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Cosmibuena
3. http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40015058?projectid=34 Cosmibuena.