Lepidobotrys Explained

Lepidobotrys is a flowering plant genus in the family Lepidobotryaceae. It contains only one species, Lepidobotrys staudtii.^[1] L. staudtii is a small African tree, ranging from Cameroon eastward to Ethiopia.^[2]

The tannin 3,4,5-tri-O-galloylquinic acid is found in L. staudtii.^[3]

Taxonomic history

Lepidobotrys staudtii was named and described by Adolf Engler in 1902 and placed by him in the family Linaceae.^[4] It was regarded as somewhat of an anomaly and during the 20th century, was assigned to various families by different authors. Hans G. Hallier^[5] and Reinhard Knuth^[6] put it in Oxalidaceae. In 1950, Jean Leonard became the first to put it in a family by itself, which he thought to be close to Linaceae.^[7] Arthur Cronquist, agreeing with Hallier and Knuth, put it in Oxalidaceae.^[8] Adding to the confusion was the lack of any strong basis for placing these and related families into orders.

Etymology

Lepidobotrys is derived from Greek, meaning 'scale-cluster'. The name is in reference to the cone-like arrangement of its bracts, which extend under the flowers.^[9]

Notes and References

1. Klaus Kubitzky. "Lepidobotryaceae" In: Klaus Kubitzki (ed.). The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants vol.VI. Springer-Verlag: Berlin,Heidelberg, Germany (2004).
2. Vernon H. Heywood, Richard K. Brummitt, Ole Seberg, and Alastair Culham. Flowering Plant Families of the World. Firefly Books: Ontario, Canada. (2007).
3. http://home.ncifcrf.gov/mtdp/Catalog/compounds/692283.html 3,4,5-tri-O-galloylquinic acid on home.ncifcrf.gov
4. Adolf Engler (May 1902). section: Linaceae africanae In: "Beitrage zur Flora von Afrika" In: Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie 32(1):108 (see External links below)
5. Hans G. Hallier. Lepidobotrys Engl.: "Die Oxalidaceen und die Geraniaceen" Beihefte zum Botanischen Centralblatt 39(2):163.
6. Reinhard G.P. Knuth. "Oxalidaceae" In: Adolf Engler and Karl Prantl. Die Naturlichen Pflanzenfamilien ed.2 volume 19a:40-41.
7. Jean J.G. Leonard (Jun1950). "Lepidobotrys Engl., type d'une famille nouvelle de Spermatophytes: les Lepidobotryaceae" Bulletin du Jardin botanique de l'Etat a Bruxelles 20(1):38.
8. Arthur Cronquist. An Integrated System of Classification of Flowering Plants. Columbia University Press: New York 1981.
9. Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. (hardback), (paperback). pp 234