''Combretum'', the bushwillows or combretums, make up the

type genus In biological taxonomy, the type genus (''genus typica'') is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name. Zoological nomenclature According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "The name-bearin ...

of the family

Combretaceae The Combretaceae, often called the white mangrove family, are a family of flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, G ...

. The

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

comprises about 272

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of trees and shrubs, most of which are native to

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...

and southern Africa, about 5 to Madagascar, but there are others that are native to tropical Asia,

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the List of islands by area, world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is ...

and the

Bismarck Archipelago The Bismarck Archipelago (, ) is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. Its area is about . History The first inhabitants of the archipela ...

, Australia, and tropical America. Around 17 species in the genus Quisqualis are very similar to Combretum and are now classified as species of the genus. Though somewhat reminiscent of

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions. Most species are known ...

s (''Salix'') in their habitus, they are not particularly close relatives of these.

Ecology

Bushwillow trees often are important plants in their

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

s in Africa, in particular those growing on

granitic A granitoid is a broad term referring to a diverse group of coarse-grained igneous rocks that are widely distributed across the globe, covering a significant portion of the Earth's exposed surface and constituting a large part of the continental ...

soils, are often dominated by ''Combretum'' and its close relative ''

Terminalia Terminalia may refer to: * Terminalia (festival) Terminalia () was an ancient Roman festival in honour of the god Terminus, who presided over boundaries. His statue was merely a stone or post stuck in the ground to distinguish between propert ...

''. For example, ''C. apiculatum'' is a notable tree in the

Angolan mopane woodlands Angolan mopane woodlands are situated in southwestern Angola, extending into northern Namibia. This ecosystem surrounds Etosha Pan, which is considered a separate ecoregion. The mopane trees are the main type of vegetation. Location and descript ...

ecoregion in the

Kunene River The Cunene (Portuguese spelling) or Kunene (common Namibian spelling) is a river in Southern Africa. It flows from the Angola highlands southwards to the border with Namibia. It then flows in a westerly direction along the border until it reaches ...

basin in southern Africa. Other species of this genus are a major component of

Southwestern Amazonian moist forests The Southwest Amazon moist forests (NT0166) is an ecoregion located in the Upper Amazon basin. The forest is characterized by a relatively flat landscape with alluvial plains dissected by undulating hills or high terraces. The biota (ecology), ...

. This genus contains several species that are

pollinated Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, for example bees, beetles or butterflies; bird ...

mammal A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three ...

s other than

bat Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...

s, which is quite rare indeed. But most species are more conventionally pollinated by

insect Insects (from Latin ') are Hexapoda, hexapod invertebrates of the class (biology), class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (Insect morphology#Head, head, ...

s or

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

s. ''

Typhlodromus combretum ''Typhlodromus'' is a genus of predatory mites belonging to the family Phytoseiidae The Phytoseiidae are a family of mites which feed on thrips and other mite species. They are often used as a biological control agent for managing mite pests. ...

'', a

mite Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods) of two large orders, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari. However, most recent genetic analyses do not recover the two as eac ...

of the family

Phytoseiidae The Phytoseiidae are a family of mites which feed on thrips and other mite species. They are often used as a biological control agent for managing mite pests. Because of their usefulness as biological control agents, interest in Phytoseiidae has ...

, was discovered on a bushwillow plant and is named after this genus. Other

herbivore A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically evolved to feed on plants, especially upon vascular tissues such as foliage, fruits or seeds, as the main component of its diet. These more broadly also encompass animals that eat ...

s that eat ''Combretum'' foliage include the

caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder ...

s of the Brown Awl (''Badamia exclamationis'') which is found on '' C. albidum, C. latifolium'' and '' C. ovalifolium''; those of the Orange-tailed Awl (''Bibasis sena'') are recorded from '' C. extensum'' and ''C. latifolium''.

Use by humans

Several species are used in African or Indian

herbal medicine Herbal medicine (also called herbalism, phytomedicine or phytotherapy) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. Scientific evidence for the effectiveness of many herbal treatments ...

. Several species of this genus in

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

known collectively as ''voantamenaka'' or ''voatamenaka'' (from ''voa'' 'fruit' and ''menaka'' 'oil') are used in traditional Malagasy medicine as

deworming Deworming (sometimes known as worming, drenching or dehelmintization) is the giving of an anthelmintic drug (a wormer, dewormer, or drench) to a human or animals to rid them of helminths parasites, such as roundworm, flukes and tapeworm. Pu ...

remedies. The class of chemical compounds known as combretastatins were first isolated from South African bushwillow (''Combretum afrum''), from which they get their name. One synthetic

derivative In mathematics, the derivative is a fundamental tool that quantifies the sensitivity to change of a function's output with respect to its input. The derivative of a function of a single variable at a chosen input value, when it exists, is t ...

, fosbretabulin disodium (combretastatin A4 phosphate), underwent preliminary study for the treatment of

anaplastic thyroid cancer Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC), also known as anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, is an aggressive form of thyroid cancer characterized by uncontrolled growth of cells in the thyroid gland. This form of cancer generally carries a very poor prognosis d ...

, but it was not effective enough to progress to more advanced trials. '' C. molle'' is also recorded to contain

antioxidant Antioxidants are Chemical compound, compounds that inhibit Redox, oxidation, a chemical reaction that can produce Radical (chemistry), free radicals. Autoxidation leads to degradation of organic compounds, including living matter. Antioxidants ...

s such as

punicalagin Punicalagin (''Pyuni-cala-jen'') is an ellagitannin, a type of phenolic compound. It is found as alpha and beta isomers in pomegranates (''Punica granatum''), '' Terminalia catappa'', '' Terminalia myriocarpa'', and in '' Combretum molle'', the ...

, which is also found in

pomegranate The pomegranate (''Punica granatum'') is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub in the family Lythraceae, subfamily Punica, Punicoideae, that grows between tall. Rich in symbolic and mythological associations in many cultures, it is thought to have o ...

s (''Punica granatum''), a somewhat related plant. The

botanist Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

George Don George Don (29 April 1798 – 25 February 1856) was a Scottish botanist and plant collector. Life and career George Don was born at Doo Hillock, Forfar, Angus, Scotland on 29 April 1798 to Caroline Clementina Stuart and George Don (b.1756), pr ...

studied this genus extensively. The

Luvuvhu River The Levubu River (; ) is located in the northern Limpopo province of South Africa. Some of its tributaries, such as the Mutshindudi River and Mutale River rise in the Soutpansberg Mountains. The Levubu flows for about 200 km through a di ...

in southern Africa was named after the river's bushwillows ('' C. erythrophyllum''), locally known as ''muvuvhu''.

Species

As of April 2021, there are 272 accepted species of ''Combretum'': *'' Combretum aculeatum'' *'' Combretum acuminatum'' *'' Combretum acutifolium'' *'' Combretum acutum'' *'' Combretum adenogonium'' *'' Combretum adrianii'' *'' Combretum afzelii'' *'' Combretum alatum'' *'' Combretum albiflorum'' *'' Combretum albopunctatum'' *'' Combretum alfredi'' *'' Combretum andongense'' *'' Combretum andradae'' *'' Combretum angolense'' *'' Combretum angustipetalum'' *'' Combretum annulatum'' *'' Combretum apetalum'' *'' Combretum aphanopetalum'' *''

Combretum apiculatum ''Combretum apiculatum'' is a species of tree in the family Combretaceae known by the common name red bushwillow. It is native to the mesic to semi-arid savanna regions of Africa, southwards of the equator. Description This is a semi-deciduous ...

'' *'' Combretum argenteum'' *'' Combretum argyrotrichum'' *'' Combretum assimile'' *'' Combretum atropurpureum'' *'' Combretum aureonitens'' *'' Combretum auriculatum'' *'' Combretum barbatum'' *'' Combretum batesii'' *'' Combretum bauchiense'' *'' Combretum baumii'' *'' Combretum bipindense'' *'' Combretum blepharopetalum'' *'' Combretum boinensis'' *'' Combretum bracteatum'' *'' Combretum bracteosum'' *'' Combretum brassiciforme'' *'' Combretum brevistylum'' *'' Combretum brunneum'' *'' Combretum butyrosum'' *'' Combretum cacoucia'' *'' Combretum afrum'' *'' Combretum camporum'' *'' Combretum capitatum'' *'' Combretum capituliflorum'' *'' Combretum capuronii'' *'' Combretum carringtonianum'' *'' Combretum caudatisepalum'' *'' Combretum celastroides'' *'' Combretum chinense'' *'' Combretum chionanthoides'' *'' Combretum cinereopetalum'' *'' Combretum cinnabarinum'' *'' Combretum clarense'' *'' Combretum coccineum'' *''

Combretum collinum ''Combretum'', the bushwillows or combretums, make up the type genus of the family Combretaceae. The genus comprises about 272 species of trees and shrubs, most of which are native to Tropics, tropical and southern Africa, about 5 to Madagascar ...

'' *'' Combretum comosum'' *'' Combretum conchipetalum'' *''

Combretum confertum ''Combretum'', the bushwillows or combretums, make up the type genus of the family Combretaceae. The genus comprises about 272 species of trees and shrubs, most of which are native to Tropics, tropical and southern Africa, about 5 to Madagascar ...

Combretum goossensii ''Combretum'', the bushwillows or combretums, make up the type genus of the family Combretaceae. The genus comprises about 272 species of trees and shrubs, most of which are native to Tropics, tropical and southern Africa, about 5 to Madagascar ...

'' *'' Combretum gordonii'' *'' Combretum gossweileri'' *'' Combretum gracile'' *'' Combretum graciliflorum'' *'' Combretum grandidieri'' *'' Combretum grandiflorum'' *'' Combretum griffithii'' *'' Combretum harmsianum'' *'' Combretum harrisii'' *'' Combretum hartmannianum'' *'' Combretum haullevilleanum'' *'' Combretum hensii'' *'' Combretum hereroense'' *'' Combretum hilarianum'' *'' Combretum holstii'' *'' Combretum homalioides'' *'' Combretum igneiflorum'' *'' Combretum illairii'' *'' Combretum imberbe'' *'' Combretum indicum'' *''

Combretum inflatum ''Combretum'', the bushwillows or combretums, make up the type genus of the family Combretaceae. The genus comprises about 272 species of trees and shrubs, most of which are native to Tropics, tropical and southern Africa, about 5 to Madagascar ...

'' *'' Combretum ivanii'' *'' Combretum kasaiense'' *'' Combretum kirkii'' *'' Combretum klossii'' *'' Combretum klotzschii'' *'' Combretum kostermansii'' *'' Combretum kraussii'' *'' Combretum lanceolatum'' *'' Combretum lanuginosum'' *'' Combretum latialatum'' *'' Combretum latifolium'' *'' Combretum laxum'' *'' Combretum lecardii'' *'' Combretum leprosum'' *'' Combretum lindense'' *'' Combretum lisowskii'' *'' Combretum littoreum'' *'' Combretum llewelynii'' *'' Combretum lokele'' *'' Combretum longicollum'' *'' Combretum longipilosum'' *'' Combretum longispicatum'' *'' Combretum longistipitatum'' *'' Combretum louisii'' *'' Combretum lukafuensis'' *'' Combretum luxenii'' *'' Combretum macrocalyx'' *'' Combretum malabaricum'' *'' Combretum mannii'' *'' Combretum marginatum'' *'' Combretum marquesii'' *'' Combretum mellifluum'' *'' Combretum meridionalis'' *'' Combretum micranthum'' *'' Combretum microphyllum'' *'' Combretum mkuzense'' *'' Combretum moggii'' *'' Combretum molle'' *'' Combretum monetaria'' *'' Combretum mooreanum'' *'' Combretum mortehanii'' *'' Combretum mossambicense'' *'' Combretum mucronatum'' *'' Combretum multinervium'' *'' Combretum mussaendiflorum'' *'' Combretum mweroense'' *'' Combretum nanum'' *'' Combretum ndjoleense'' *'' Combretum nigrescens'' *'' Combretum nigricans'' *'' Combretum nioroense'' *'' Combretum niphophilum'' *'' Combretum nusbaumeri'' *'' Combretum oatesii'' *'' Combretum obovatum'' *'' Combretum obscurum'' *'' Combretum octagonum'' *'' Combretum olivaceum'' *'' Combretum oudenhovenii'' *'' Combretum ovalifolium'' *'' Combretum oxygonium'' *'' Combretum oxystachyum'' *'' Combretum oyemense'' *'' Combretum padoides'' *'' Combretum paniculatum'' *'' Combretum paradoxum'' *'' Combretum paraguariense'' *'' Combretum patelliforme'' *'' Combretum paucinervium'' *'' Combretum pavonii'' *'' Combretum pecoense'' *'' Combretum pellegrinianum'' *'' Combretum pentagonum'' *'' Combretum petrophilum'' *'' Combretum phaeocarpum'' *'' Combretum pilosum'' *'' Combretum pisoniiflorum'' *'' Combretum pisonioides'' *'' Combretum platypterum'' *'' Combretum polyanthum'' *'' Combretum polystictum'' *'' Combretum procursum'' *'' Combretum psidioides'' *'' Combretum punctatum'' *'' Combretum purpureiflorum'' *'' Combretum pyramidatum'' *'' Combretum pyrifolium'' *'' Combretum quadrangulare'' *'' Combretum quadratum'' *'' Combretum rabiense'' *'' Combretum racemosum'' *'' Combretum razianum'' *'' Combretum recurvatum'' *'' Combretum relictum'' *'' Combretum rhodanthum'' *'' Combretum riggenbachianum'' *'' Combretum robustum'' *'' Combretum robynsii'' *'' Combretum rochetianum'' *'' Combretum rohrii'' *'' Combretum rotundifolium'' *'' Combretum rovirosae'' *'' Combretum roxburghii'' *'' Combretum rupestre'' *'' Combretum rupicola'' *'' Combretum sanjappae'' *'' Combretum scandens'' *'' Combretum schumannii'' *''

Combretum sericeum ''Combretum'', the bushwillows or combretums, make up the type genus of the family Combretaceae. The genus comprises about 272 species of trees and shrubs, most of which are native to Tropics, tropical and southern Africa, about 5 to Madagascar ...

'' *'' Combretum shivannae'' *'' Combretum sordidum'' *'' Combretum sphaeroides'' *''

Combretum spinosum ''Combretum'', the bushwillows or combretums, make up the type genus of the family Combretaceae. The genus comprises about 272 species of trees and shrubs, most of which are native to tropical and southern Africa, about 5 to Madagascar, but the ...

'' *'' Combretum stenopterum'' *'' Combretum stocksii'' *'' Combretum struempellianum'' *'' Combretum stylesii'' *'' Combretum subglabratum'' *'' Combretum subumbellatum'' *'' Combretum sundaicum'' *'' Combretum sylvicola'' *'' Combretum tarquense'' *'' Combretum tenuipetiolatum'' *'' Combretum tessmannii'' *'' Combretum tetragonocarpum'' *'' Combretum tetralophoides'' *'' Combretum tetralophum'' *'' Combretum teuschii'' *'' Combretum tibatiense'' *'' Combretum tomentosum'' *''

Combretum towaense ''Combretum'', the bushwillows or combretums, make up the type genus of the family Combretaceae. The genus comprises about 272 species of trees and shrubs, most of which are native to tropical and southern Africa, about 5 to Madagascar, but the ...

'' *'' Combretum trichophyllum'' *'' Combretum trifoliatum'' *'' Combretum ulei'' *'' Combretum umbricola'' *'' Combretum vendae'' *'' Combretum vernicosum'' *'' Combretum villosum'' *'' Combretum violaceum'' *'' Combretum virgatum'' *'' Combretum viscosum'' *'' Combretum wallichii'' *'' Combretum wattii'' *'' Combretum wilksii'' *'' Combretum winitii'' *'' Combretum xanthothyrsum'' *'' Combretum youngii'' *'' Combretum zenkeri'' *'' Combretum zeyheri''

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1777188 Medicinal plants Myrtales genera