''Cayaponia'' is the largest genus in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, with about 60 species. The plants are referred to as melonleaf. They are common from the

southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

. Some species are also found in western Africa,

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

, and Fernando de Noronha, which is about 354 km off the coast of Brazil. It is native the southern United States to central South America and the Caribbean islands. Most species are found in rainforests and have white or yellow-green flowers. The original ''Cayaponia'' were pollinated by bats, but at least two shifts to bee pollination have occurred among some of its species. This is apparently the first

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

to shift from bat to bee pollination vice bee to bat pollination. A 2011 study based on genetics placed the genus ''

Selysia ''Selysia'' is a genus of the Cucurbitaceae, gourd family. A 2011 study based on genetics placed it under the genus ''Cayaponia''. Species References External links

Cucurbitaceae genera Cucurbitoideae Taxa named by Alfred Cogniau ...

'' under this genus. Brazilian botanist António Luiz Patricio da Silva Manso named this genus after the indigenous Cayapo people of Brazil.

Species

There are around 120 species in the genus: *'' Cayaponia africana'' (Hook. f.) Exell *'' Cayaponia alarici'' M. Porto *'' Cayaponia alata'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia almeideana'' Sald. & Cogn. *'' Cayaponia amazonica'' (Poepp. & Endl.) Cogn. *'' Cayaponia americana'' (Lam.) Cogn. *'' Cayaponia andreana'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia angustiloba'' (Cogn.) Cogn. *'' Cayaponia attenuata'' (Hook. & Arn.) Cogn. *'' Cayaponia aubia'' Rose *''

Cayaponia austin-smithii ''Cayaponia'' is the largest genus in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, with about 60 species. The plants are referred to as melonleaf. They are common from the southern United States to South America. Some species are also found in western Afri ...

'' Standl. *''

Cayaponia bidentata ''Cayaponia'' is the largest genus in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, with about 60 species. The plants are referred to as melonleaf. They are common from the southern United States to South America. Some species are also found in western Afri ...

'' (Hampshire) P. Duchen & S.S. Renner *''

Cayaponia biflora ''Cayaponia'' is the largest genus in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, with about 60 species. The plants are referred to as melonleaf. They are common from the southern United States to South America. Some species are also found in western Afri ...

'' Cogn. ex Harms *''

Cayaponia boliviensis ''Cayaponia'' is the largest genus in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, with about 60 species. The plants are referred to as melonleaf. They are common from the southern United States to South America. Some species are also found in western Afri ...

'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia bonariensis'' (Mill.) Mart. *'' Cayaponia bonplandii'' (Cogn.) Cogn. *'' Cayaponia botryocarpa'' C. Jeffrey *'' Cayaponia boykinii'' (Torr. & A. Gray) Cogn. *'' Cayaponia buraeavii'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia cabocla'' Mart. *'' Cayaponia calycina'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia capitata'' Cogn. ex Harms *'' Cayaponia caulobotrys'' C. Jeffrey *'' Cayaponia citrullifolia'' (Griseb.) Cogn. *'' Cayaponia coccinea'' André ex Cogn. *''

Cayaponia cogniauxiana ''Cayaponia'' is the largest genus in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, with about 60 species. The plants are referred to as melonleaf. They are common from the southern United States to South America. Some species are also found in western Africa ...

'' Gomes-Klein *''

Cayaponia cordata ''Cayaponia'' is the largest genus in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, with about 60 species. The plants are referred to as melonleaf. They are common from the southern United States to South America. Some species are also found in western Africa ...

'' (Cogn.) P. Duchen & S.S. Renner *'' Cayaponia cordifolia'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia coriacea'' Cogn. *''

Cayaponia cruegeri ''Cayaponia'' is the largest genus in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, with about 60 species. The plants are referred to as melonleaf. They are common from the southern United States to South America. Some species are also found in western Africa ...

'' (Naudin) Cogn. *'' Cayaponia denticulata'' Killip ex C. Jeffrey *'' Cayaponia diffusa'' Silva Manso *'' Cayaponia diversifolia'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia domingensis'' (Cogn.) H. Schaef. & M. Nee *'' Cayaponia dubia'' Rose *'' Cayaponia duckei'' Harms *'' Cayaponia elliptica'' Silva Manso *'' Cayaponia eriantha'' *'' Cayaponia espelina'' (Silva Manso) Cogn. *'' Cayaponia excisa'' (Griseb.) Cogn. *'' Cayaponia ferruginea'' Gomes-Klein *'' Cayaponia ficifolia'' (Lam.) Cogn. *'' Cayaponia flaminensis'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia floribunda'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia fluminensis'' Cogn. *''

Cayaponia glandulosa ''Cayaponia'' is the largest genus in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, with about 60 species. The plants are referred to as melonleaf. They are common from the southern United States to South America. Some species are also found in western Africa ...

'' (Poepp. & Endl.) Cogn. *'' Cayaponia glazivoii'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia globosa'' Silva Manso *'' Cayaponia gracillima'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia granatensis'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia grandiflora'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia grandifolia'' (Torr. & A. Gray) *'' Cayaponia guianensis'' C. Jeffrey *'' Cayaponia hammelii'' Grayum *'' Cayaponia heterophylla'' (Naudin) Cogn. *'' Cayaponia hirsuta'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia jenmanii'' C. Jeffrey *''

Cayaponia kathematophora ''Cayaponia'' is the largest genus in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, with about 60 species. The plants are referred to as melonleaf. They are common from the southern United States to South America. Some species are also found in western Africa ...

'' R.E. Schult. *''

Cayaponia laciniosa ''Cayaponia'' is the largest genus in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, with about 60 species. The plants are referred to as melonleaf. They are common from the southern United States to South America. Some species are also found in western Africa ...

'' (L.) C. Jeffrey *'' Cayaponia latebrosa'' (Aiton) Cogn. *'' Cayaponia latifolia'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia laxa'' Cogn. ex Harms *'' Cayaponia leucosticta'' Standl. *'' Cayaponia lhotskyana'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia longifolia'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia longiloba'' A.K. Monro *'' Cayaponia macrantha'' Pittier *''

Cayaponia macrocalyx ''Cayaponia'' is the largest genus in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, with about 60 species. The plants are referred to as melonleaf. They are common from the southern United States to South America. Some species are also found in western Africa ...

'' Harms *'' Cayaponia martiana'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia maximowiczii'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia membranacea'' Gomes-Klein *''

Cayaponia metensis ''Cayaponia'' is the largest genus in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, with about 60 species. The plants are referred to as melonleaf. They are common from the southern United States to South America. Some species are also found in western Africa ...

'' Cuatrec. *'' Cayaponia micrantha'' Cogn. *''

Cayaponia microdonta ''Cayaponia'' is the largest genus in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, with about 60 species. The plants are referred to as melonleaf. They are common from the southern United States to South America. Some species are also found in western Africa ...

'' S.F. Blake *'' Cayaponia multiglandulosa'' R. Fern. *'' Cayaponia nitida'' Gomes-Klein & Pirani *'' Cayaponia noronhae'' C. Jeffrey *'' Cayaponia oerstedii'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia ophthalmica'' R.E. Schult. *'' Cayaponia oppositifolia'' Harms *'' Cayaponia ottoniana'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia ovata'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia palmata'' Cogn. *''

Cayaponia paraensis ''Cayaponia'' is the largest genus in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, with about 60 species. The plants are referred to as melonleaf. They are common from the southern United States to South America. Some species are also found in western Africa ...

'' Harms *'' Cayaponia pedata'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia pentaphylla'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia peruviana'' (Poepp. & Endl.) Cogn. *'' Cayaponia petiolulata'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia piauhiensis'' (Cogn.) Cogn. *'' Cayaponia pilosa'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia podantha'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia poeppigii'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia prunifera'' (Poepp. & Endl.) P. Duchen & S.S. Renner *'' Cayaponia psederifolia'' Standl. ex J.F. Macbr. *'' Cayaponia quinqueloba'' (Raf.) Shinners *'' Cayaponia racemosa'' (Mill.) Cogn. *'' Cayaponia reticulata'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia rigida'' (Cogn.) Cogn. *'' Cayaponia rugosa'' Gomes-Klein & Pirani *'' Cayaponia ruizii'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia saldanhaei'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia sandia'' Cogn. ex Griseb. *'' Cayaponia schenckii'' Cogn. *''

Cayaponia selysioides ''Cayaponia'' is the largest genus in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, with about 60 species. The plants are referred to as melonleaf. They are common from the southern United States to South America. Some species are also found in western Africa ...

'' C. Jeffrey *'' Cayaponia sessiliflora'' Wunderlin *'' Cayaponia setulosa'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia simplicifolia'' (Naudin) Cogn. *'' Cayaponia smithii'' Standl. *'' Cayaponia subsessilis'' (Cogn.) Sandw. & Cheesm. *''

Cayaponia tayuya ''Cayaponia tayuya'' (tayuya or taiuiá) is a vine that grows in the Amazon region of South America, in the nations of Brazil, Bolivia and Peru. Its roots are used in herbal medicine. Studies in rodent models have shown that several cucurbitac ...

'' (Vell.) Cogn. *''

Cayaponia ternata ''Cayaponia'' is the largest genus in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, with about 60 species. The plants are referred to as melonleaf. They are common from the southern United States to South America. Some species are also found in western Africa ...

'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia tessmannii'' Harms *'' Cayaponia tibiricae'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia tomentosa'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia triangularis'' (Cogn.) Cogn. *'' Cayaponia trichocalyx'' Killip & Cuatrec. *'' Cayaponia trifoliata'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia trifoliolata'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia trilobata'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia tubulosa'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia ulei'' Cogn. ex Harms *''

Cayaponia villosissima ''Cayaponia'' is the largest genus in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, with about 60 species. The plants are referred to as melonleaf. They are common from the southern United States to South America. Some species are also found in western Africa ...

'' Cogn. *'' Cayaponia weddellii'' (Naudin) Cogn.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4269007 Cucurbitaceae genera Cucurbitoideae