''Chaetogastra'' is a genus of

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 belonging to the family

Melastomataceae Melastomataceae is a family of dicotyledonous flowering plants found mostly in the tropics (two-thirds of the genera are from the New World tropics) comprising c. 175 genera and c. 5115 known species. Melastomes are annual or perennial herbs, sh ...

. Its native range is South America and North America. It contains around 115 species.

Description

Species of ''Chaetogastra'' are herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or small trees. Their leaves are opposite and have petioles. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

is a terminal

panicle A panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a panicle are of ...

or some modification of one. The flowers are

hypogynous In the flowering plants, an ovary is a part of the female reproductive organ of the flower or gynoecium. Specifically, it is the part of the pistil which holds the ovule(s) and is located above or below or at the point of connection with the bas ...

, with a bell-shaped

hypanthium In angiosperms, a hypanthium or floral cup is a structure where basal portions of the calyx, the corolla, and the stamens form a cup-shaped tube. It is sometimes called a floral tube, a term that is also used for corolla tube and calyx tube. It ...

(base of the flower), usually very hairy (pubescent) on the outside. There are four or five

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, usually dark lilac to purple, more rarely white, yellow or deep red. There are eight or ten

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s which may be all the same or in two series of different sizes. The connectives at the base of the anthers are prolonged, with two ventral lobes. The numerous seeds are borne in a dry, semiwoody capsule, and are more-or-less spiral (cochleate) in shape.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Chaetogastra'' was established by

Augustin de Candolle Augustin Pyramus (or Pyrame) de Candolle (, , ; 4 February 17789 September 1841) was a Swiss botanist. René Louiche Desfontaines launched de Candolle's botanical career by recommending him at a herbarium. Within a couple of years de Candolle ...

in 1828. In 1885, in his treatment for ''Flora brasiliensis'',

Alfred Cogniaux Célestin Alfred Cogniaux (7 April 1841 – 15 April 1916) was a Belgian botanist. Amongst other plants, the genus '' Neocogniauxia'' of orchids is named after him. In 1916 his enormous private herbarium was acquired by the National Botanic ...

used a broad concept of the genus ''

Tibouchina ''Tibouchina'' "Tibouchina." Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged. Merriam Webster, 1961. is a Neotropical realm, neotropical flowering plant genus in the family Melastomataceae. Species of this genus a ...

'', transferring into it species at that time placed in many other genera, including ''Chaetogastra''. This broad concept was generally adopted subsequently, and around 470 taxa were at one time or another assigned to ''Tibouchina'', including those placed in ''Chaetogastra''. A

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 ...

analysis in 2013 based on molecular data (2

plastid The plastid (Greek: πλαστός; plastós: formed, molded – plural plastids) is a membrane-bound organelle found in the Cell (biology), cells of plants, algae, and some other eukaryotic organisms. They are considered to be intracellular endosy ...

and 1

nuclear Nuclear may refer to: Physics Relating to the nucleus of the atom: * Nuclear engineering *Nuclear physics *Nuclear power *Nuclear reactor *Nuclear weapon *Nuclear medicine *Radiation therapy *Nuclear warfare Mathematics *Nuclear space *Nuclear ...

regions) showed that the traditional circumscription of ''Tibouchina'' was paraphyletic. Four major

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, ...

s were resolved within the genus, which were supported by morphological, molecular and geographic evidence. A further

molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

study in 2019 used the same molecular markers but included more species. It reached the same conclusion: the original broadly circumscribed ''Tibouchina'' consisted of four monophyletic clades. The authors proposed a split into four genera: a more narrowly circumscribed ''Tibouchina'', two re-established genera ''

Pleroma Pleroma ( grc-koi, πλήρωμα, literally "fullness") generally refers to the totality of divine powers. It is used in Christian theological contexts, especially in Gnosticism. The term also appears in the Epistle to the Colossians, which is tr ...

'' and ''Chaetogastra'', and a new genus, ''

Andesanthus ''Andesanthus'' is a genus of flowering plant in the family Melastomataceae, native to Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Venezuela. The genus was established in 2019 for some species formerly placed in '' Tibouchina''. Some specie ...

''. The part of their maximum likelihood

cladogram A cladogram (from Greek ''clados'' "branch" and ''gramma'' "character") is a diagram used in cladistics to show relations among organisms. A cladogram is not, however, an evolutionary tree because it does not show how ancestors are related to d ...

which includes former ''Tibouchina'' species is as follows, using their genus names and with shading added to show the original broadly circumscribed ''Tibouchina'' s.l. (The relationship between ''Chaetogastra'' and the genus ''

Brachyotum ''Brachyotum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Melastomataceae. There are about 58 species native to the Andes of South America. Ulloa, C. U. (2007)''Brachyotum sertulatum'', una especie nueva de Melastomataceae de Colombia.In: ''Ana ...

'' differed between analyses.) ''Chaetogastra'' is shown either to be sister to ''Andesanthus'' or to be part of a clade combining ''Chaetogastra'' and ''Brachyotum''. The authors preferred to keep these two genera separate, as they were in their

Bayesian inference Bayesian inference is a method of statistical inference in which Bayes' theorem is used to update the probability for a hypothesis as more evidence or information becomes available. Bayesian inference is an important technique in statistics, a ...

analysis.

Species

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was launched in March 2017 with the ultimate aim being "to enable users to access information on all the world's known seed-bearing plants by ...

accepted the following species: *''

Chaetogastra adenophora ''Chaetogastra'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae. Its native range is South America and North America. It contains around 115 species. Description Species of ''Chaetogastra'' are herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or ...

'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *''

Chaetogastra alata ''Chaetogastra'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae. Its native range is South America and North America. It contains around 115 species. Description Species of ''Chaetogastra'' are herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or ...

'' P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *''

Chaetogastra almedae ''Chaetogastra'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae. Its native range is South America and North America. It contains around 115 species. Description Species of ''Chaetogastra'' are herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or ...

'' (Todzia) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *''

Chaetogastra anderssonii ''Chaetogastra anderssonii'', synonym ''Tibouchina anderssonii'', is a species of plant in the family Melastomataceae. It is endemic to Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republ ...

'' (Wurdack) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *''

Chaetogastra andreana ''Chaetogastra'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae. Its native range is South America and North America. It contains around 115 species. Description Species of ''Chaetogastra'' are herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or ...

'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *''

Chaetogastra araneicalyx ''Chaetogastra'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae. Its native range is South America and North America. It contains around 115 species. Description Species of ''Chaetogastra'' are herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or ...

'' (de Santiago) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *''

Chaetogastra arthrostemmoides ''Chaetogastra'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae. Its native range is South America and North America. It contains around 115 species. Description Species of ''Chaetogastra'' are herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or ...

'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra asperifolia'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra aurea'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra brittoniana'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra campii'' (Wurdack) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *''

Chaetogastra capitata ''Chaetogastra'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae. Its native range is South America and North America. It contains around 115 species. Description Species of ''Chaetogastra'' are herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or ...

'' (Naudin) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra cerastifolia'' (Naudin) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra chamaecistus'' Griseb. *'' Chaetogastra chironioides'' Griseb. *''

Chaetogastra ciliaris ''Chaetogastra ciliaris'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Melastomataceae, native to Colombia, Costa Rica and Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuad ...

'' (Vent.) DC. *'' Chaetogastra cisplatensis'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra cistoides'' Griseb. *''

Chaetogastra citrina ''Chaetogastra'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae. Its native range is South America and North America. It contains around 115 species. Description Species of ''Chaetogastra'' are herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or ...

'' (Naudin) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra clinopodifolia'' DC. *'' Chaetogastra confertiflora'' (Naudin) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra congestiflora'' (Todzia) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *''

Chaetogastra connata ''Chaetogastra'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae. Its native range is South America and North America. It contains around 115 species. Description Species of ''Chaetogastra'' are herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or ...

'' (Gleason ex Todzia) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra cordeiroi'' F.S.Mey. & R.Goldenb. *'' Chaetogastra cornuta'' (Gleason) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra crassifolia'' F.S.Mey. & R.Goldenb. *'' Chaetogastra cristaensis'' F.S.Mey. & R.Goldenb. *''

Chaetogastra debilis ''Chaetogastra'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae. Its native range is South America and North America. It contains around 115 species. Description Species of ''Chaetogastra'' are herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or ...

'' Cham. *'' Chaetogastra decora'' (Gleason) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra dimorphylla'' (Gleason) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra durangensis'' (Standl.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra echinata'' (Ruiz & Pav.) DC. *'' Chaetogastra erioclada'' (Triana) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra excoriata'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra ferrariana'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra fulvipilis'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra galeottiana'' (Naudin) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra gayana'' (Naudin) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra geitneriana'' Schltdl. *'' Chaetogastra gracilis'' (Bonpl.) DC. *'' Chaetogastra grossa'' (L.f.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra hassleri'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra herbacea'' (DC.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra herincquiana'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra herzogii'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra hieracioides'' DC. *'' Chaetogastra hintonii'' (Gleason ex Todzia) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra hutchisonii'' (Wurdack) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra incarum'' (Gleason) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra kingii'' (Wurdack) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra kunhardtii'' (Gleason) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *''

Chaetogastra laevis ''Chaetogastra'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae. Its native range is South America and North America. It contains around 115 species. Description Species of ''Chaetogastra'' are herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or ...

'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *''

Chaetogastra lancifolia ''Chaetogastra'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae. Its native range is South America and North America. It contains around 115 species. Description Species of ''Chaetogastra'' are herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or ...

'' (Wurdack) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra latebracteolata'' (Paul G.Wilson) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra latifolia'' (Naudin) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *''

Chaetogastra laxa ''Chaetogastra'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae. Its native range is South America and North America. It contains around 115 species. Description Species of ''Chaetogastra'' are herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or ...

'' (Desr.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *''

Chaetogastra longifolia ''Chaetogastra longifolia'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Melastomataceae, native to Mexico through the Caribbean to northern South America. It has many synonyms, including ''Tibouchina longifolia''. It was first described in 179 ...

'' (Vahl) DC. *'' Chaetogastra longipilosa'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra longisepala'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *''

Chaetogastra longistyla ''Chaetogastra'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae. Its native range is South America and North America. It contains around 115 species. Description Species of ''Chaetogastra'' are herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or ...

'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *''

Chaetogastra macvaughii ''Chaetogastra'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae. Its native range is South America and North America. It contains around 115 species. Description Species of ''Chaetogastra'' are herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or ...

'' (Todzia) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra mariae'' (Wurdack) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra membranifolia'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra minor'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *''

Chaetogastra mollis ''Chaetogastra mollis'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Melastomataceae, native to western South America (Colombia, Ecuador and Peru). It was first described by Aimé Bonpland as ''Rhexia mollis'' in part of ''Monographia Melastoma ...

'' (DC.) DC. *'' Chaetogastra monticola'' (Naudin) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra nanifolia'' (Todzia) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra naudiniana'' Decne. *'' Chaetogastra nitida'' (Graham) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra obtusifolia'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra oligantha'' (Gleason) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *''

Chaetogastra orbignyana ''Chaetogastra'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae. Its native range is South America and North America. It contains around 115 species. Description Species of ''Chaetogastra'' are herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or ...

'' (Naudin) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra oroensis'' (Gleason) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra panicularis'' Naudin *''

Chaetogastra paratropica ''Chaetogastra'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae. Its native range is South America and North America. It contains around 115 species. Description Species of ''Chaetogastra'' are herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or ...

'' (Griseb.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra parviflora'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *''

Chaetogastra patens ''Chaetogastra'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae. Its native range is South America and North America. It contains around 115 species. Description Species of ''Chaetogastra'' are herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or ...

'' (Todzia) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra pauciflora'' P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra pendula'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *''

Chaetogastra pentamera ''Chaetogastra'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae. Its native range is South America and North America. It contains around 115 species. Description Species of ''Chaetogastra'' are herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or ...

'' (Ule) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra pleromoides'' (Naudin) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra pulcherrima'' (Gleason) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra purpurascens'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra purpusii'' (Brandegee) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *''

Chaetogastra repens ''Chaetogastra'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae. Its native range is South America and North America. It contains around 115 species. Description Species of ''Chaetogastra'' are herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or ...

'' (Wurdack) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra rhynchantherifolia'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra riograndensis'' F.S.Mey. *'' Chaetogastra rojasii'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *''

Chaetogastra roseotincta ''Chaetogastra'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae. Its native range is South America and North America. It contains around 115 species. Description Species of ''Chaetogastra'' are herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or ...

'' (Todzia) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra rufipilis'' (Schltdl.) Walp. *'' Chaetogastra rupestris'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra rusbyi'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra sandiensis'' (Wurdack) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra saxicola'' (F.S.Mey., P.J.F.Guim. & R.Goldenb.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *''

Chaetogastra saxosa ''Chaetogastra'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae. Its native range is South America and North America. It contains around 115 species. Description Species of ''Chaetogastra'' are herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or ...

'' (Gleason) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *''

Chaetogastra scabriuscula ''Chaetogastra'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Melastomataceae. Its native range is South America and North America. It contains around 115 species. Description Species of ''Chaetogastra'' are herbs, subshrubs, shrubs or ...

'' (Schltdl.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra schiedeana'' (Schltdl. & Cham.) Walp. *'' Chaetogastra sebastianopolitana'' (Raddi) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra sericea'' (de Santiago) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra simplicicaulis'' (Naudin) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra sinaloensis'' (Todzia) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra solmsii'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra stenopetala'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra stenophylla'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra tetrapetala'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra thulia'' (Todzia) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra tortuosa'' (Bonpl.) DC. *'' Chaetogastra triflora'' (Gleason) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra trinitensis'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra urbanii'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra venosa'' (Gleason) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *''

Chaetogastra versicolor ''Chaetogastra versicolor'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Melastomataceae, native to Brazil. It was first described by John Lindley in 1827 as ''Rhexia versicolor''. One of its synonyms is ''Tibouchina versicolor''. ''Chaetogast ...

'' (Lindl.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra violacea'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra wasshausenii'' (Wurdack) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. *'' Chaetogastra weberbaueri'' (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang.

Distribution and habitat

The species of ''Chaetogastra'' are native from

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

through

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

and the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...

into the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

and

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

. They are also found in eastern

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

. The Andes are the centre of diversity. Most are found in cloud forests above 1,000 m elevation, although some herbaceous species are found in open areas above 100 m.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q42808113 Melastomataceae genera