''Aotus'' is an Australian
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
s, within the
legume family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Fabaceae. ''Aotus'' species, together with other species of the
tribe
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to confli ...
Mirbelieae
The Mirbelioids are an informal subdivision of the plant family Fabaceae that includes the former tribes Bossiaeeae and Mirbelieae. They are consistently recovered as a monophyletic clade in molecular phylogenies. The Mirbelioids arose 48.4 ± 1 ...
, are often called golden peas because of their distinctive small yellow
flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
s. They are endemic to
Australia, occurring in all states except the
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Aust ...
. ''Aotus'' are evergreen species. Some are widely cultivated by
gardeners for their ornamental value.
Species
''Aotus'' comprises the following species:
* ''
Aotus carinata''
Meissner
* ''
Aotus cordifolia''
Benth.
* ''
Aotus ericoides''
(Vent.) G.Don
* ''
Aotus genistoides''
Turcz.
* ''
Aotus gracillima''
Meissner
* ''
Aotus intermedia''
Meissner
* ''
Aotus lanigera''
Benth.
* ''
Aotus mollis''
Benth.
* ''
Aotus passerinoides''
Meissner
* ''
Aotus phylicoides''
Benth.
* ''
Aotus procumbens''
Meissner
* ''
Aotus subglauca''
Blakeley & McKie
* ''
Aotus subspinescens''
(Benth.) Crisp
* ''
Aotus tietkensii''
F.Muell.
Species names with uncertain taxonomic status
The status of the following species is unresolved:
* ''Aotus coccinea''
Dum.Cours.
* ''Aotus diffusa''
C.A. Gardner
* ''Aotus dillwynioides''
Meisn.
Carl Daniel Friedrich Meissner (1 November 1800 – 2 May 1874) was a Swiss botanist.
Biography
Born in Bern, Switzerland on 1 November 1800, he was christened Meisner but later changed the spelling of his name to Meissner. For most of his 40 ...
* ''Aotus drummondii''
T.Moore
* ''Aotus franklandii''
Chappill & C.F.Wilkins
* ''Aotus gracilis''
Loudon
* ''Aotus lanea''
Chappill & C.F.Wilkins
* ''Aotus preissii''
Meisn.
** var. ''leiophylla''
(Meisn.) Meisn.
** var. ''preissii''
Meisn.
* ''Aotus prosacris''
Chappill & C.F.Wilkins
* ''Aotus virgata''
Sieber ex DC.
* ''Aotus wuerthii''
Regel
References
External links
''Aotus''
Mirbelioids
Fabales of Australia
Fabaceae genera
{{Australia-rosid-stub