''Coleotrype'' is a genus of perennial

monocotyledon Monocotyledons (), commonly referred to as monocots, (Lilianae ''sensu'' Chase & Reveal) are grass and grass-like flowering plants (angiosperms), the seeds of which typically contain only one embryonic leaf, or cotyledon. They constitute one of ...

ous

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 dayflower family. It is found in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and

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 ...

.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> The genus is characterised by its extremely contracted

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 ...

s with each unit being subtended by a relatively large

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...

, and the petals that form a short tube at the base in which the

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 are attached to it. Flowers may be either zygomorphic or actinomorphic, and

anther 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 filam ...

s release their pollen either through a pore at the tip or slits down the sides. They are typically encountered in forest understories.Faden, R. (2012). Commelinaceae. Flora of Tropical East Africa: 1-244. Analysis of

DNA sequence DNA sequencing is the process of determining the nucleic acid sequence – the order of nucleotides in DNA. It includes any method or technology that is used to determine the order of the four bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. Th ...

s has shown that ''Coleotrype'' is most closely related to the genus ''

Amischotolype ''Amischotolype'' is a genus of perennial monocotyledonous flowering plants in the Commelinaceae. It is found in Central Africa and from India through Southeast Asia to New Guinea, with the great majority or species found in Asia.Duistermaat, H. ...

'', while these two are in turn most closely related to the genus '' Cyanotis'' plus its very close relative ''

Belosynapsis Belosynapsis is a genus of mainly perennial plants in the family Commelinaceae, first described in 1871. It is native to Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, Papuasia, and southern China. ; Species * ''Belosynapsis ciliata'' (Blume) R.S.Rao ...

''. These four genera form a

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, ...

that is found only in the

Old World The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...

, while all of its immediate ancestors are present only in the

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...

. ; Species * ''

Coleotrype baronii ''Coleotrype baronii'' is a dayflower plant species described by John Gilbert Baker. It is native to Madagascar. References Baker, 1887 ''In: J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 22: 530'' Commelinaceae Endemic flora of Madagascar {{Commelinales- ...

'' Baker - Madagascar * ''

Coleotrype brueckneriana ''Coleotrype'' is a genus of perennial monocotyledonous flowering plants in the dayflower family. It is found in Africa and Madagascar. The genus is characterised by its extremely contracted inflorescences with each unit being subtended by a re ...

'' Mildbr. - Kenya, Tanzania * ''

Coleotrype goudotii ''Coleotrype'' is a genus of perennial monocotyledonous flowering plants in the dayflower family. It is found in Africa and Madagascar. The genus is characterised by its extremely contracted inflorescences with each unit being subtended by a re ...

'' C.B.Clarke - Madagascar * ''

Coleotrype laurentii ''Coleotrype'' is a genus of perennial monocotyledonous flowering plants in the dayflower family. It is found in Africa and Madagascar. The genus is characterised by its extremely contracted inflorescences with each unit being subtended by a re ...

'' K.Schum. - western + central Africa * ''

Coleotrype lutea ''Coleotrype'' is a genus of perennial monocotyledonous flowering plants in the dayflower family. It is found in Africa and Madagascar. The genus is characterised by its extremely contracted inflorescences with each unit being subtended by a re ...

'' H.Perrier - Madagascar * ''

Coleotrype madagascarica ''Coleotrype'' is a genus of perennial monocotyledonous flowering plants in the dayflower family. It is found in Africa and Madagascar. The genus is characterised by its extremely contracted inflorescences with each unit being subtended by a re ...

'' C.B.Clarke - Madagascar * ''

Coleotrype natalensis ''Coleotrype'' is a genus of perennial monocotyledonous flowering plants in the Commelinaceae, dayflower family. It is found in Africa and Madagascar. The genus is characterised by its extremely contracted inflorescences with each unit being sub ...

'' C.B.Clarke - Eswatini, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa * ''

Coleotrype synanthera ''Coleotrype'' is a genus of perennial monocotyledonous flowering plants in the dayflower family. It is found in Africa and Madagascar. The genus is characterised by its extremely contracted inflorescences with each unit being subtended by a re ...

'' H.Perrier - Madagascar * ''

Coleotrype udzungwaensis ''Coleotrype'' is a genus of perennial monocotyledon Monocotyledons (), commonly referred to as monocots, (Lilianae ''sensu'' Chase & Reveal) are grass and grass-like flowering plants (angiosperms), the seeds of which typically contain only on ...

'' Faden & Layton - Tanzania * ''

Coleotrype vermigera ''Coleotrype'' is a genus of perennial monocotyledonous flowering plants in the dayflower family. It is found in Africa and Madagascar. The genus is characterised by its extremely contracted inflorescences with each unit being subtended by a re ...

'' H.Perrier - Madagascar

References

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q5144594 Commelinaceae Commelinales genera