Carpodetus Flexuosus

''Carpodetus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Rousseaceae family. It was formerly considered to lie within the Escalloniaceae. Its species occur in New Guinea, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. The genus is characterised by small trees with alternate, evergreen leaves, bearing small white flowers with few stamens.

Species

Described species include:
*''Carpodetus amplus'' Reeder
*''Carpodetus arboreus'' (Lauterb. & K.Schum.) Schltr.
*''Carpodetus archboldianus'' Reeder
*''Carpodetus denticulatus'' (Ridl.) Reeder
*''Carpodetus flexuosus'' (Ridl.) Reeder
*''Carpodetus fuscus'' Reeder
*''Carpodetus grandiflorus'' Schltr.
*''Carpodetus major'' Schltr.
*''Carpodetus montanus'' (Ridl.) Reeder
*''Carpodetus pullei'' Schltr.
*'' Carpodetus serratus'' J.R.Forst. & G.Forst. New Zealand

Taxonomy

''Carpodetus'' and its type species ''C. serratus'' were first described by father and son Forster in 1773 and placed in the Saxifragaceae. In 1934 it was assigned to the newly created Escalloniaceae by Hutchinson in his major revision of the dicotyledon families. In the APG III system, ''Carpodetus'' has been referred to the Rousseaceae.

Phylogeny

''Carpodetus'' is the sister to the clade consisting of ''Abrophyllum'' and ''Cuttsia''. ''Roussea'' is sister to the rest of the family and is geographically most distanced from the other genera. Most related to this family are the Campanulaceae. This results in the following phylogenetic tree.

Etymology

''Carpodetus'' is derived from the Greek words καρπός () (fruit) and (bound together), a reference that the seeds are bound together in clusters in the berry. ''cited on''

References

Rousseaceae
Asterales genera

{{Asterales-stub