Luehea is a genus of trees in the family Malvaceae.[1]
Its native range stretches from Mexico to southern tropical America and Cuba. It is native to the countries of; Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela.[1] It has been introduced into; Bangladesh, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.[1]
The genus name of Luehea is in honour of Carl Emil von der Luehe or Lühe (1751–1801), a German botanist and chamberlain of Princess Caroline-Mathilde of Denmark; later a chamberlain in Vienna, Austria.[2] It was first described and published by Carl Ludwig Willdenow in Neue Schriften Ges. Naturf. Freunde Berlin Vol.3 on page 410 in 1801.[1]
The type species is Luehea speciosa.
According to the IUCN Red List of plants; Luehea candicans, Luehea candida, Luehea speciosa, Luehea cymulosa, Luehea divaricata, Luehea paniculata, Luehea ochrophylla and Luehea seemannii are all listed as Least concern plants.[3]