''Barbeya'' is the only
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Barbeyaceae, and has only one
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
, ''Barbeya oleoides''. It is a small tree native to the mountains of
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐; ar, ุงูุตูู
ุงู, aแนฃ-แนขลซmฤl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
,
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, แขแตแฎแตแซ, รtiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
, and the
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, ุดูุจููู ุงููุฌูุฒููุฑูุฉู ุงููุนูุฑูุจููููุฉ, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...
. It can be found locally abundant in the transition zone between the dry, evergreen,
Afromontane
The Afromontane regions are subregions of the Afrotropical realm, one of the Earth's eight biogeographic realms, covering the plant and animal species found in the mountains of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. The Afromontane regions ...
forests and lower-elevation evergreen bushlands.
''Barbeya oleoides'' has opposite, oblong-lanceolate, simple leaves with entire margins. Plants are
dioecious
Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...
, with male and female flowers on separate trees.
The family Barbeyaceae is closely related to its ecological associate on the
Horn
Horn most often refers to:
*Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound
** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments
*Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...
, the family
Dirachmaceae
''Dirachma'' is the sole genus of the family Dirachmaceae. The genus had been monotypic, its sole species being the woody plant ''Dirachma socotrana'', until a second, herbaceous, species, ''Dirachma somalensis'', was discovered in Somalia
...
. Evidence on the molecular level has demonstrated this despite obvious morphological differences between the two families such as Barbeya having small,
unisexual
Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...
, petalless
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, while the flowers of Dirachmaceae are characterized by their
bisexuality
Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whic ...
, and their relatively large
petal
Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...
s (and size in general).
References
Monotypic Rosales genera
Rosales
Somali montane xeric woodlands
Southwestern Arabian foothills savanna
Dioecious plants
Afrotropical realm flora
{{Rosales-stub