''Cossinia'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of four species of

rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...

trees, constituting part of the plant family

Sapindaceae The Sapindaceae are a family of flowering plants in the order Sapindales known as the soapberry family. It contains 138 genera and 1858 accepted species. Examples include horse chestnut, maples, ackee and lychee. The Sapindaceae occur in tempera ...

. The genus has a disjunct distribution, occurring in

Mascarene Islands The Mascarene Islands (, ) or Mascarenes or Mascarenhas Archipelago is a group of islands in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar consisting of the islands belonging to the Republic of Mauritius as well as the French department of Réunion. Thei ...

, Australia,

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

and

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

. They grow naturally in rainforests, including seasonally drought–prone rainforests, and associated non–fire–adapted vegetation types. ''Cossinia trifoliata'' trees, endemic to New Caledonia, have become vulnerable to global extinction according to the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

(IUCN)'s 1998 assessment. ''Cossinia australiana'' trees, endemic to restricted habitat areas of central-eastern and southeastern

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia, have the official national and Queensland state governments' "endangered" conservation status. Within their known endemic region the trees grow naturally in habitats which have historically had their native vegetation extensively destroyed and have been further threatened.

Naming and classification

The genus was first described in 1786 by

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, chevalier de Lamarck (1 August 1744 – 18 December 1829), often known simply as Lamarck (; ), was a French naturalist, biologist, academic, and soldier. He was an early proponent of the idea that biologi ...

in ''

Encyclopédie Méthodique The ''Encyclopédie méthodique par ordre des matières'' ("Methodical Encyclopedia by Order of Subject Matter") was published between 1782 and 1832 by the French publisher Charles Joseph Panckoucke, his son-in-law Henri Agasse, and the latter's ...

: Botanique''. The publication includes descriptions of the species ''Cossinia pinnata'' and ''C. triphylla'', named earlier by

Philibert Commerson Philibert Commerson (; 18 November 1727 – 14 March 1773), sometimes spelled Commerçon by contemporaries, was a French naturalist, best known for accompanying Louis Antoine de Bougainville on his voyage of circumnavigation in 1766–1769. ...

. In 1982 Australian botanist Sally T. Reynolds formally described the new species name ''Cossinia australiana'', recognised that ''C. triphylla'' is a synonym of ''C. pinnata'' and updated Ludwig A. T. Radlkofer's species identification key to include all four currently accepted species.

Species

* '' Cossinia australiana'' – central–eastern to southeastern Queensland endemic, Australia * '' Cossinia pacifica'' – Fiji endemic * ''

Cossinia pinnata ''Cossinia'' is a genus of four species of rainforest trees, constituting part of the plant family Sapindaceae. The genus has a disjunct distribution, occurring in Mascarene Islands, Australia, New Caledonia and Fiji. They grow naturally in rai ...

'' , syn.: ''C. triphylla'' –

Réunion Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island ...

and

Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...

–Mascarene Islands endemic (Indian Ocean) * '' Cossinia trifoliata'' , syn.: ''Melicopsidium trifoliatum'' – New Caledonia endemic – Vulnerable

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2713481 Flora of Mauritius Flora of Madagascar Flora of Queensland Flora of New Caledonia Flora of Fiji Sapindaceae genera Sapindales of Australia Dodonaeoideae Taxa named by Philibert Commerson Taxa named by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck