''Pachira'' is a genus of tropical

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

s distributed in Central and South America, Africa and India. They are classified in the subfamily

Bombacoideae Bombacoideae is a subfamily of the mallow family, Malvaceae. It contains herbaceous and woody plants. Their leaves are alternate, commonly palmately lobed, with small and caducous stipules. The flowers are hermaphroditic and actinomorphic; the c ...

of the family

Malvaceae Malvaceae, or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include okra, cotton, cacao and durian. There are also some genera containing familiar ...

. Previously the genus was assigned to

Bombacaceae Bombacaceae were long recognised as a family of flowering plants or Angiospermae. The family name was based on the type genus ''Bombax''. As is true for many botanical names, circumscription and status of the taxon has varied with taxonomic point ...

. Prior to that the genus was found in the (now obsolete) Sterculiaceae. Some 77 species have been identified. They form small or large trees with

digitate The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular o ...

leaves, and the fruit an oval woody one-celled capsule opening by a number of divisions and containing many seeds. The genus name is derived from a language spoken in

Guyana Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...

.Helmut Genaust (1983): Etymologisches Wörterbuch der botanischen Pflanzennamen, 2. Auflage. Birkhäuser Verlag –

History

Although first named ''Pachira'' by Jean Baptiste Aublet in 1775, Carl Linnaeus the Younger unaware of this separately is said to have called the genus ''Carolinea'' after Princess (or Marchioness) "Sophia Caroline of Baden" in 1782. The principle of precedence gives the authority to Pachira. The Margrave of Baden, Karl Wilhelm (1709 – 1738) founded the Karlsruhe Palace (''Karlsruher Schloß'') in 1715. He had a considerable interest in Botany, particularly the exotic, and had large numbers of trees imported for the Palace Gardens (''Schloßgarten''). He was succeeded by his Grandson, Karl Friedrich (1738 - 1811) who married Princess Karoline Luise von Hessen-Darmstadt (1723 - 1783) in 1751. Karoline Luise was a noted botanist. She corresponded with Carl von Linné ( Linnaeus), cultivated numerous plants in the palace gardens, had engravings of them made for a book and had them all classified according to Linnaeus' system. Linnaeus' son, Carl Linnaeus the younger, recognised her contributions by naming one of the trees, ''

Pachira aquatica ''Pachira aquatica'' is a tropical wetland tree in the mallow family Malvaceae, native to Central and South America where it grows in swamps. It is known by its common names Malabar chestnut, French peanut, Guiana chestnut, Provision tree, Saba n ...

'' (German: ''Glückskastanie'') ''Carolinea princeps'' after her.

Commercial use

Timber, cordage and seeds for stuffing pillows and cushions. Brande and Cox (eds.) A dictionary of science, literature, & art. Longmans, London 1866 Pachira II: 761
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Selected species

* ''

'' Aubl. (syn. ''P. macrocarpa'') * ''

Pachira emarginata ''Pachira'' is a genus of tropical trees distributed in Central and South America, Africa and India. They are classified in the subfamily Bombacoideae of the family Malvaceae. Previously the genus was assigned to Bombacaceae. Prior to that the g ...

'' A. Rich. * ''

Pachira fendleri ''Pachira'' is a genus of tropical trees distributed in Central and South America, Africa and India. They are classified in the subfamily Bombacoideae of the family Malvaceae. Previously the genus was assigned to Bombacaceae. Prior to that the g ...

'' Seem. * ''

Pachira glabra ''Pachira glabra'' ( syn. ''Bombacopsis glabra'') is a tropical wetland tree in the mallow family Malvaceae, native to eastern Brazil, where it grows along rivers and other waterways. It is generally known by the nonscientific names Guinea peanut ...

'' Pasq. * ''

Pachira insignis ''Pachira'' is a genus of tropical trees distributed in Central and South America, Africa and India. They are classified in the subfamily Bombacoideae of the family Malvaceae. Previously the genus was assigned to Bombacaceae. Prior to that the g ...

'' (Sw.) Savigny * ''

Pachira orinocensis ''Pachira'' is a genus of tropical trees distributed in Central and South America, Africa and India. They are classified in the subfamily Bombacoideae of the family Malvaceae. Previously the genus was assigned to Bombacaceae. Prior to that the g ...

'' (A.Robyns) W.S.Alverson * ''

Pachira quinata ''Pachira quinata'', commonly known as pochote, is a species of flowering tree in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It inhabits dry forests in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras Panama, Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Rep ...

'' (Jacq.) W.S.Alverson

Formerly placed here

* ''

Pseudobombax grandiflorum ''Pseudobombax'' is a genus of flowering plants in the subfamily Bombacoideae of the family Malvaceae. The genus ranges across tropical South America, Central America, Mexico, Cuba, Hispaniola, and the Windward Islands."''Pseudobombax'' Dugand". ...

'' (Cav.) A.Robyns (as ''P. cyathophora'' Casar.)

History

Commercial use

Selected species

Formerly placed here

References

Further reading