Canthium coromandelicum near Hyderabad W IMG 7609

''Canthium'' is a

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 ...

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 in the

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 ...

Rubiaceae The Rubiaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the coffee, madder, or bedstraw family. It consists of terrestrial trees, shrubs, lianas, or herbs that are recognizable by simple, opposite leaves with interpetiolar stipules a ...

. They are shrubs and small

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. The leaves are

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...

and the stems are usually thorny.

Distribution

''Canthium'' species are predominantly found in

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...

, especially in

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

and the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. A small number of species is found in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, Sri Lanka, and

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

. Only a limited number of species is found on the African continent, especially in Southern and East Africa.

Taxonomy

''Canthium'' was named by

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, chevalier de Lamarck (1 August 1744 – 18 December 1829), often known simply as Lamarck (; ), was a French naturalist, biologist, academic, and soldier. He was an early proponent of the idea that biolo ...

in 1785 in

Encyclopédie Méthodique The ''Encyclopédie méthodique par ordre des matières'' ("Methodical Encyclopedia by Order of Subject Matter") was published between 1782 and 1832 by the French publisher Charles Joseph Panckoucke, his son-in-law Henri Agasse, and the latter's ...

. The name is a latinisation of "kantankara", a

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 2 ...

name from

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

for ''Canthium coromandelicum''. ''Kantan'' means "shining" and ''kara'' means "a spiny shrub". The biological type for the genus consists of

specimen Specimen may refer to: Science and technology * Sample (material), a limited quantity of something which is intended to be similar to and represent a larger amount * Biological specimen or biospecimen, an organic specimen held by a biorepository ...

s originally described by

as ''Canthium parviflorum''''Canthium'' In: Index Nominum Genericorum. In:

Regnum Vegetabile The International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT) is an organization established to promote an understanding of plant biodiversity, facilitate international communication of research between botanists, and oversee matters of uniformity and ...

but this species is now included in ''

Canthium coromandelicum ''Canthium coromandelicum'' is a bushy thorny suffruticose herb, a native of India found mainly in the Coromandel region. Description ''Canthium coromandelicum'' is a shrub, usually with opposite horizontal thorns a little above the leaf. So ...

''. ''Canthium'' is a member of

Vanguerieae Vanguerieae is a tribe of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae and contains about 655 species in 30 genera. It is one of the most species-rich groups within the family and it is distributed across the Paleotropics. Description Several diff ...

, a

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 ...

that is monophyletic and easily recognized morphologically, but in which

generic Generic or generics may refer to: In business * Generic term, a common name used for a range or class of similar things not protected by trademark * Generic brand, a brand for a product that does not have an associated brand or trademark, other ...

boundaries were, for a long time, very unclear. ''Canthium'' was especially problematic, and until the 1980s, it was defined broadly and known to be

polyphyletic A polyphyletic group is an assemblage of organisms or other evolving elements that is of mixed evolutionary origin. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as homoplasies, which are explained as a result of conver ...

. ''

Psydrax ''Psydrax'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It consists of trees, shrubs, and a few lianas in the paleotropics. Taxonomy The genus was named by Joseph Gaertner in 1788 in his book, ''De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum'' ...

'' was separated from it in 1985, as was ''

Keetia ''Keetia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It consists of climbers or scrambling shrubs, rarely small trees. Distribution The genus has a wide distribution area and occurs in tropical and southern Africa. Taxonomy It was ...

'' in 1986. These were followed by ''

Pyrostria ''Pyrostria'' is a genus of dioecious flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Rubiaceae. Most of the species are endemic to Madagascar, others occur on islands in the western Indian Ocean (Mauritius, Comoros, Réunion, Rodrigues, Socotr ...

'' and '' Multidentia'' in 1987. The subgenus ''

Afrocanthium ''Afrocanthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It consists of deciduous, unarmed trees, and shrubs. They are native to East Africa, from Sudan and Ethiopia to South Africa. Taxonomy ''Afrocanthium'' was first recognize ...

'' was raised to generic

rank Rank is the relative position, value, worth, complexity, power, importance, authority, level, etc. of a person or object within a ranking, such as: Level or position in a hierarchical organization * Academic rank * Diplomatic rank * Hierarchy * ...

in 2004, followed by '' Bullockia'' in 2009. A few species were transferred to ''Canthium'' from ''

Rytigynia ''Rytigynia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It is found in tropical and southern Africa. The genera ''Rytigynia'' and '' Fadogia'' form a strongly supported clade but neither of these genera is monophyletic. Distribut ...

'' and other genera in 2004. The genus was further reduced by the transfer of species to '' Peponidium'' and ''

''. In 2016, two ''Canthium'' species endemic to the

were transferred to a genus of their own, '' Kanapia''. The final circumscription of ''Canthium'' will remain in doubt until

phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...

studies achieve greater resolution for the clade containing ''

'' and its closest relatives.

Species

, Plants of the World Online recognises the following species: * '' Canthium aciculatum'' Ridl. * ''

Canthium angustifolium ''Canthium angustifolium'', with the common name narrow-leaved canthium, is native to southern tropical Asia. The large shrub is found in eastern India (including Assam), Bangladesh, and Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunc ...

Roxb. William Roxburgh FRSE FRCPE FLS (3/29 June 1751 – 18 February 1815) was a Scottish surgeon and botanist who worked extensively in India, describing species and working on economic botany. He is known as the founding father of Indian botany. H ...

* '' Canthium arboreum'' Vidal * '' Canthium aurantiacum'' Merr. & L.M.Perry * ''

Canthium berberidifolium ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually Thorns, spines, and prickles, thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species a ...

'' Geddes * '' Canthium bipinnatum'' (

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'' * El Blanco, albin ...

) Merr. * ''

Canthium brunneum ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species are predominantly found in Southeast Asia, espe ...

'' ( Merr.) Merr. * ''

Canthium calvum ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species are predominantly found in Southeast Asia, espec ...

'' Craib * ''

Canthium cambodianum ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually Thorns, spines, and prickles, thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species a ...

'' Pit. * '' Canthium campanulatum'' Thwaites * '' Canthium cavaleriei'' H.Lév. * '' Canthium ciliatum'' (D.Dietr.)

Kuntze Kuntze is a surname of German origin. People with that name include: * Carl Kuntze (1922-2006), Dutch rower who competed at the 1952 Summer Olympics * Edward J. Kuntze (1826-1870), Prussian-born American sculptor * Otto Kuntze (1843-1907), German ...

* '' Canthium coffeoides'' Pierre ex Pit. * '' Canthium congestiflorum'' Ridl. * '' Canthium cordatum'' Dillwyn * ''

'' ( Brum.f.) Alston * ''

Canthium depressinerve ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually Thorns, spines, and prickles, thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species a ...

'' Ridl. * '' Canthium ellipticum'' ( Merr.) Merr. * ''

Canthium fenicis ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually Thorns, spines, and prickles, thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species a ...

'' ( Merr.) Merr. * ''

Canthium ferrugineum ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually Thorns, spines, and prickles, thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species a ...

'' Craib * ''

Canthium filipendulum ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species are predominantly found in Southeast Asia, espe ...

'' Pierre ex Pit. * ''

Canthium fraternum ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually Thorns, spines, and prickles, thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species a ...

Miq. Friedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel (24 October 1811 – 23 January 1871) was a Dutch botanist, whose main focus of study was on the flora of the Dutch East Indies. Early life Miquel was born in Neuenhaus and studied medicine at the University of Groni ...

* ''

Canthium glaucum ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species are predominantly found in Southeast Asia, espec ...

'' Hiern * ''

Canthium gracilipes ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually Thorns, spines, and prickles, thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species a ...

'' Kurz * ''

Canthium hainanense ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually Thorns, spines, and prickles, thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species a ...

'' ( Merr.) Lantz * '' Canthium hirtellum'' Ridl. * '' Canthium hispidonervosum'' ( De Wild.) C.M.Evrard * ''

Canthium horridulum ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species are predominantly found in Southeast Asia, espec ...

'' Craib * '' Canthium horridum'' Blume * ''

Canthium inerme ''Canthium inerme'' (Turkey-berry) is a tough, adaptable medium-sized tree from South Africa. It bears small edible fruits and has a variety of uses in traditional medicine. Name The Latin species name of this plant, ''"inerme"'', actually means ...

'' ( L.f.)

* '' Canthium korthalsianum''

* ''

Canthium kuntzeanum ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species are predominantly found in Southeast Asia, espec ...

'' Bridson * ''

Canthium laeve ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually Thorns, spines, and prickles, thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species a ...

'' Teijsm. & Binn. * '' Canthium lasianthoides''

* ''

Canthium libericum ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually Thorns, spines, and prickles, thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species a ...

'' Dinkl. * '' Canthium longipes'' Geddes * '' Canthium lucidum'' R.Br. * ''

Canthium macrocarpum ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually Thorns, spines, and prickles, thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species a ...

'' Thwaites * ''

Canthium malayense ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually Thorns, spines, and prickles, thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species a ...

'' K.M.Wong * ''

Canthium megacarpum ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually Thorns, spines, and prickles, thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species a ...

'' ( Merr.) Merr. * ''

Canthium megistocarpum ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species are predominantly found in Southeast Asia, espec ...

'' Merr. & L.M.Perry * '' Canthium merrillianum''

Mabb. Professor David John Mabberley , (born May 1948) is a British-born botanist, educator and writer. Among his varied scientific interests is the taxonomy of tropical plants, especially trees of the families Labiatae, Meliaceae and Rutaceae. He ...

* ''

Canthium merrillii ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually Thorns, spines, and prickles, thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species a ...

'' (Setch.) Christoph. * '' Canthium mite'' Bartl. ex DC. * '' Canthium molle''

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

Gamble Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of value ("the stakes") on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three eleme ...

* '' Canthium moluccanum''

* ''

Canthium oblongum ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species are predominantly found in Southeast Asia, espec ...

'' (Valeton) Kaneh. * '' Canthium oliganthum'' (

) Boerl. * '' Canthium oligocarpum'' Hiern * ''

Canthium parvifolium ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species are predominantly found in Southeast Asia, espec ...

* ''

Canthium paucinervium ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually Thorns, spines, and prickles, thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species a ...

'' ( Merr.) Merr. * '' Canthium pedunculare'' Cav. * '' Canthium perakanthus'' ined. * ''

Canthium polyanthum ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species are predominantly found in Southeast Asia, espec ...

* ''

Canthium puberulum ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually Thorns, spines, and prickles, thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species a ...

'' Thwaites ex

Hook.f. Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker (30 June 1817 – 10 December 1911) was a British botanist and explorer in the 19th century. He was a founder of geographical botany and Charles Darwin's closest friend. For twenty years he served as director of ...

* ''

Canthium quadratum ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually Thorns, spines, and prickles, thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species a ...

'' Craib * ''

Canthium rheedei ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species are predominantly found in Southeast Asia, espec ...

'' DC. * '' Canthium sarcocarpum'' ( Merr.) Merr. * '' Canthium sarmentosum'' Craib * ''

Canthium scabridum ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually Thorns, spines, and prickles, thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species a ...

'' Ridl. * ''

Canthium scandens ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually Thorns, spines, and prickles, thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species a ...

'' Blume * '' Canthium schlechterianum'' Merr. & L.M.Perry * '' Canthium simile'' Merr. & Chun * '' Canthium sordidum'' (

K.Schum. Karl Moritz Schumann (17 June 1851 – 22 March 1904) was a German botanist. Schumann was born in Görlitz. He was curator of the Botanisches Museum in Berlin-Dahlem from 1880 until 1894. He also served as the first chairman of the ''Deut ...

) Bullock * '' Canthium spirostylum''

* '' Canthium stellulatum'' Craib * ''

Canthium strigosum ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species are predominantly found in Southeast Asia, espec ...

'' Craib * ''

Canthium strychnoides ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually Thorns, spines, and prickles, thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species a ...

'' Craib * '' Canthium subaureum'' Craib * '' Canthium subcapitatum'' ( Merr.) Merr. * '' Canthium suberosum'' Codd * ''

Canthium subsessilifolium ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Family (biology), family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually Thorns, spines, and prickles, thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species a ...

'' ( Merr.) Merr. * '' Canthium tavoyanum'' (R.Parker) Merr. * '' Canthium travancoricum''

Bedd. Colonel Richard Henry Beddome (11 May 1830 – 23 February 1911) was a British military officer and naturalist in India, who became chief conservator of the Madras Forest Department. In the mid-19th century, he extensively surveyed several ...

* ''

Canthium trichophorum ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species are predominantly found in Southeast Asia, espec ...

'' Quisumb. & Merr. * '' Canthium umbelligerum''

* '' Canthium vanwykii'' Tilney & Kok * '' Canthium villarii'' Vidal * ''

Canthium violaceum ''Canthium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually thorny. Distribution ''Canthium'' species are predominantly found in Southeast Asia, espec ...

'' Zoll. & Moritzi

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3244344 Rubiaceae genera Afrotropical realm flora Indomalayan realm flora Taxa named by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck Taxonomy articles created by Polbot