''Alyxia'' is a genus of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...
s in the family,
Apocynaceae
Apocynaceae (, from '' Apocynum'', Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison. Notable mem ...
. It contains at present 106 species, but ''
Alyxia stellata'' and ''
A. tisserantii'' are very variable, might be
cryptic species complex
In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...
es, and are need of further study. It consists of shrubby, climbing or scrambling plants. This genus occurs in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, the
Himalayas
The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...
,
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
,
New Caledonia
New Caledonia ( ; ) is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, southwest of Vanuatu and east of Australia. Located from Metropolitan France, it forms a Overseas France#Sui generis collectivity, ''sui generis'' collectivity of t ...
and the
Pacific Island
The Pacific islands are a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are further categorized into three major island groups: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Depending on the context, the term ''Pacific Islands'' may refer to one of several ...
s. There are 14 species in Australia, 21 in New Caledonia and 7 in the other Pacific Islands, including
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
.
[Middleton (2000, 2001)]
The
leaves
A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...
are opposite or in whorls of three to seven. There are
colleters (groups or tufts of mucilaginous secretory hairs) present in the leaf axils. The
inflorescence
In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...
is axillary or terminal with solitary flowers or simple cymes. Flowers consist of five petals and five sepals. The flowers have a slender tube which expands abruptly. The stamens have short filaments and are inserted in the upper half of the corolla. The fruit is a pair of
drupe
In botany, a drupe (or stone fruit) is a type of fruit in which an outer fleshy part (exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh) surrounds a single shell (the ''pip'' (UK), ''pit'' (US), ''stone'', or ''pyrena'') of hardened endocarp with a seed ...
s, originating from each flower.
(''
A. buxifolia'') is used in
herbalism
Herbal medicine (also called herbalism, phytomedicine or phytotherapy) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. Scientific evidence for the effectiveness of many herbal treatments ...
and was made into a patented remedy by
Albert Aspinall
Albert Wood Aspinall (27 December 1839 – 15 December 1903) was an Australian stonemason and builder. He was an expert in constructing round towers and buildings.
Early life
Aspinall was born in Exley Bank Bottom, Southowram, West Riding of ...
. ''
Maile'' (''A. oliviformis''),
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to the Hawaiian Islands, has sweet-smelling leaves and is much used for
lei; formerly it was reserved for ''
alii'' (nobility), but today it can be used by anyone and is a popular wedding decoration on the islands. ''Maile'' also provides food for ''
Thyrocopa'' caterpillars and weevils of the genus ''
Proterhinus''. Alyxia spp. are also used in
Jamu
Jamu ( Javanese: ) is a traditional medicine from Indonesia. It is predominantly a herbal medicine made from natural materials, such as roots, bark, flowers, seeds, leaves and fruits. Materials acquired from animals, such as honey, royal jell ...
.
Species
The following is a list of ''Alyxia'' species accepted by
Plants of the World Online
Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
History
Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...
as at September 2021:
* ''
Alyxia acuminata''
K.Schum. (New Guinea)
* ''
Alyxia angustifolia''
Ridl. (Malaysia, Philippines)
* ''
Alyxia angustissima''
Merr. & Quisumb. (Philippines)
* ''
Alyxia annamensis''
Pit. (Indo-China)
* ''
Alyxia arfakensis''
Kaneh. & Hatus. (New Guinea)
* ''
Alyxia baillonii''
Guillaumin (New Caledonia)
* ''
Alyxia balansae''
Pit. (China, Vietnam)
* ''
Alyxia bracteolosa''
Rich. ex A.Gray (south-west Pacific Ocean)
* ''
Alyxia buxifolia
''Alyxia buxifolia'', otherwise known as the sea box or dysentery bush, is a species of evergreen shrub in the family Apocynaceae.
''Alyxia buxifolia'' has medium to dark green foliage consisting of small, fleshy leaves. The flowers are small a ...
''
R.Br. – dysentery bush, sea box (South Australia)
* ''
Alyxia cacuminum''
Markgr. (New Guinea)
* ''
Alyxia caletioides''
( Baill.) Guillaumin (New Caledonia)
* ''
Alyxia celebica''
D.J.Middleton (Sulawesi)
* ''
Alyxia clusiophylla''
(Baill.) Guillaumin (New Caledonia)
* ''
Alyxia composita''
Warb. (New Guinea)
* ''
Alyxia concatenata''
(Blanco
Blanco (''white'' or ''blank'' in Spanish) or Los Blancos may refer to:
People
*Blanco (surname) Fictional characters
*Blanco, a hobbit in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth
*Blanco Webb, character in the BBC sitcom ''Porridge''
*Graboid#El Blanco, ...
) Merr. (Philippines)
* ''
Alyxia cylindrocarpa''
Guillaumin (New Caledonia)
* ''
Alyxia defoliata''
Markgr. (New Guinea)
* ''
Alyxia efatensis''
Guillaumin (Vanuatu)
* ''
Alyxia erythrosperma''
Gillespie (Fiji)
* ''
Alyxia evansii''
D.J.Middleton (Northern Territory)
* ''
Alyxia fascicularis''
( Wall. ex G.Don
George Don (29 April 1798 – 25 February 1856) was a Scottish botanist and plant collector.
Life and career
George Don was born at Doo Hillock, Forfar, Angus, Scotland on 29 April 1798 to Caroline Clementina Stuart and George Don (b.1756), pr ...
) Benth.
George Bentham (22 September 1800 – 10 September 1884) was an English botanist, described by the weed botanist Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century". Born into a distinguished family, he initially studie ...
ex Hook.f. (India, Thailand)
* ''
Alyxia floribunda''
Markgr. (New Guinea)
* ''
Alyxia funingensis''
Tsiang & P.T.Li (China, Myanmar)
* ''
Alyxia ganophylla''
Markgr. (Malaysia, Borneo)
* ''
Alyxia glaucophylla''
Van Heurck & Müll.Arg. (New Caledonia)
* ''
Alyxia globosa''
D.J.Middleton (Sulawesi)
* ''
Alyxia graciliflora''
D.J.Middleton (Papua New Guinea)
* ''
Alyxia gracilis''
(Wall. ex A.DC.) Benth. ex Hook.f. (India, Bangladesh)
* ''
Alyxia grandis''
P.I.Forst. (Queensland)
* ''
Alyxia gynopogon''
Roem. & Schuit. (
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island ( , ; ) is an States and territories of Australia, external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head, New South Wales, Evans Head and a ...
)
* ''
Alyxia hainanensis
''Alyxia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family, Apocynaceae. It contains at present 106 species, but ''Alyxia stellata'' and ''Alyxia tisserantii, A. tisserantii'' are very variable, might be cryptic species complexes, and are need of f ...
''
Merr. & Chun (China, Vietnam)
* ''
Alyxia halmaheirae''
Miq. (Sulawesi to Maluku)
* ''
Alyxia hurlimannii''
Guillaumin (New Caledonia)
* ''
Alyxia ilicifolia''
F.Muell.
Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, (; 30 June 1825 – 10 October 1896) was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist. He was appointed government botanist for the then colony of Victoria (state), Vic ...
(Queensland)
* ''
Alyxia kaalaensis''
Boiteau (New Caledonia)
* ''
Alyxia kabaenae''
Markgr. (Sulawesi)
* ''
Alyxia kendarica''
Markgr. (Sulawesi)
* ''
Alyxia kwalotabaa''
D.J.Middleton (
Bismarck Archipelago
The Bismarck Archipelago (, ) is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. Its area is about .
History
The first inhabitants of the archipela ...
)
* ''
Alyxia lackii''
D.J.Middleton (Sulawesi)
* ''
Alyxia lamii''
Markgr. (New Guinea)
* ''
Alyxia laurina''
Gaudich. (New Guinea)
* ''
Alyxia leucogyne''
Van Heurck & Müll.Arg. (New Caledonia)
* ''
Alyxia linearis''
Markgr. (Philippines)
* ''
Alyxia loeseneriana''
Schltr. (New Caledonia)
* ''
Alyxia longiloba''
D.J.Middleton (Papua New Guinea)
* ''
Alyxia luzonensis''
Merr. (Philippines)
* ''
Alyxia magnifolia''
F.M.Bailey (Queensland)
* ''
Alyxia manusiana''
D.J.Middleton (Bismarck Archipelago)
* ''
Alyxia margaretae''
Boiteau (New Caledonia)
* ''
Alyxia marginata''
Pit. (Cambodia, Vietnam)
* ''
Alyxia markgrafii''
Tsiang (New Guinea)
* ''
Alyxia menglungensis''
Tsiang & P.T.Li (China)
* ''
Alyxia microphylla''
Markgr. (New Guinea)
* ''
Alyxia minutiflora''
D.J.Middleton (Sulawesi)
* ''
Alyxia monticola''
C.B.Rob. (Taiwan, Philippines)
* ''
Alyxia mucronata''
D.J.Middleton (New Caledonia)
* ''
Alyxia muguma''
D.J.Middleton (Philippines)
* ''
Alyxia mujongensis''
Markgr. (Borneo)
* ''
Alyxia multistriata''
Markgr. (New Guinea)
* ''
Alyxia nathoi''
Trân Ðinh Lý
* ''
Alyxia oblongata''
Domin (New Guinea, Queensland)
* ''
Alyxia obovatifolia''
Merr. (Philippines)
* ''
Alyxia oleifolia''
King
King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
& Gamble (Malesia)
* ''
Alyxia oppositifolia''
Boiteau (New Caledonia)
* ''
Alyxia orophila''
Domin (Queensland)
* ''
Alyxia oubatchensis''
( Schltr.) Guill. ex Boiteau (New Caledonia)
* ''
Alyxia palawanensis''
Markgr. (Borneo, Philippines, Sulawesi)
* ''
Alyxia papuana''
D.J.Middleton (Papua New Guinea)
* ''
Alyxia parvifolia''
(Merr.) Merr. (Philippines)
* ''
Alyxia pilosa''
Miq. (Malaysia)
* ''
Alyxia podocarpa''
Van Heurck & Müll.Arg. (New Caledonia)
* ''
Alyxia poyaensis''
(Boiteau) D.J.Middleton (New Caledonia)
* ''
Alyxia pseudosinensis''
Pit. (Indo-China)
* ''
Alyxia pugio''
Markgr. (Papua New Guinea)
* ''
Alyxia pullei''
Markgr. (New Guinea)
* ''
Alyxia punctata''
Kaneh. & Hatus. (New Guinea)
* ''
Alyxia purpureoclada''
Kaneh. & Hatus. (New Guinea)
* ''
Alyxia racemosa''
Pit. (Vietnam)
* ''
Alyxia reinwardtii''
Blume (China, Philippines, Bali)
* ''
Alyxia ridleyana''
Wernham (New Guinea)
* ''
Alyxia rostrata''
Markgr. (New Guinea)
* ''
Alyxia royeniana''
Wernham (New Guinea)
* ''
Alyxia rubricaulis''
Baill. Guimaumin (New Caledonia)
* ''
Alyxia ruscifolia
''Alyxia ruscifolia'', commonly known as the chainfruit or prickly alyxia, is a shrub of high rainfall areas in eastern Australia. The natural range of distribution is from Wollongong in New South Wales to the Wet Tropics and further north to ...
''
R.Br. (Australia) – chain fruit
* ''
Alyxia sarasini''
Guimaumin (New Caledonia)
* ''
Alyxia scabrida''
Markgr. (Papua New Guinea)
* ''
Alyxia schlechteri''
H.Lév. (China, Thailand)
* ''
Alyxia semipallescens''
F. Muell. (New Guinea)
* ''
Alyxia siamensis''
Craib (China, Indo-China)
* ''
Alyxia sinensis''
Champ. ex Benth. (China, Vietnam, Taiwan)
* ''
Alyxia sleumeri''
Markgr. (New Guinea)
* ''
Alyxia sogerensis''
Wernham ex S.Moore (New Guinea)
* ''
Alyxia solomonensis''
D.J.Middleton (Solomon Islands)
* ''
Alyxia spicata''
R.Br.
* ''
Alyxia squamulosa''
C.Moore & F.Muell.
* ''
Alyxia stellata''
( J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.
Johann George Adam Forster, also known as Georg Forster (; 27 November 1754 – 10 January 1794), was a German geographer, naturalist, ethnologist, travel writer, journalist and revolutionary. At an early age, he accompanied his father, Joha ...
) Roem. & Schult.
* ''
Alyxia sulana''
Markgr. (Sulawesi, Maluku)
* ''
Alyxia tetanifolia''
Cranfield
Cranfield is a village and civil parish in the west of Bedfordshire, England, situated between Bedford and Milton Keynes. It had a population of 4,909 in 2001. increasing to 5,369 at the 2011 census. The parish is in Central Bedfordshire uni ...
(Western Australia)
* ''
Alyxia tetraquetra''
Markgr. (New Guinea)
* ''
Alyxia thailandica''
D.J.Middleton (Thailand)
* ''
Alyxia tisserantii''
Montrouz. (New Caledonia)
* ''
Alyxia torquata''
Baill. Guimaumin (New Caledonia)
* ''
Alyxia tropica''
(P.I.Forst.) D.J.Middleton (Northern Territory)
* ''
Alyxia uniflora''
D.J.Middleton (Sulawesi)
* ''
Alyxia veillonii''
D.J.Middleton (New Caledonia)
* ''
Alyxia vera''
D.J.Middleton (Maluku)
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2577122
Apocynaceae genera