Melicope Cravenii

''Melicope'' is a genus of about 240 species of shrubs and trees in the family Rutaceae, occurring from the Hawaiian Islands across the Pacific Ocean to tropical Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Plants in the genus ''Melicope'' have simple or trifoliate leaves arranged in opposite pairs, flowers arranged in panicles, with four sepals, four petals and four or eight stamens and fruit composed of up to four follicles.

Description

Plants in the genus ''Melicope'' have simple or trifoliate leaves arranged in opposite pairs, or sometimes whorled. The flowers are arranged in panicles and are bisexual or sometimes with functionally male- or female-only flowers. The flowers have four sepals, four petals and four or eight stamens. There are four, sometimes five, carpels fused at the base with fused styles, the stigma similar to the tip of the style. The fruit is composed of up to four follicles fused at the base, each with one or two seeds.

Taxonomy

The genus ''Melicope'' was first formally described in 1775 by Johann Reinhold Forster and his son Georg Forster in their book ''Characteres Generum Plantarum'' and the first species they described (the type species) was ''Melicope ternata''.

The generic name ''Melicope'' is derived from Greek words μελι (''meli''), meaning "honey," and κοπη (''kope''), meaning "a division," referring to the glands at the base of the ovary. The 2009 Takhtajan system placed the genus in the subfamily Rutoideae, tribe Zanthoxyleae. A 2021 subfamily classification of the Rutaceae, based both on a new and previous molecular phylogenetic studies, places ''Melicope'' (with an expanded circumscription) in the subfamily Zanthoxyloideae, stating that the evidence does not yet support classification to tribal level.

Evidence from 2007 onwards showed that with its traditional circumscription, ''Melicope'' was not monophyletic. The previously separated genus ''Platydesma'' of four species is nested within the genus ''Melicope'' and is sister to all Hawaiian ''Melicope'' species. And while ''Melicope'' species are usually dioecious (individual plants only bear either male or female flowers), the flowers of the former ''Platydesma'' are hermaphroditic, suggesting a rare evolutionary reversion away from dioecy in ''Platydesma''. Molecular phylogenetic analyses also suggest that the genera ''Comptonella'', ''Dutaillyea'', '' Picrella'', and possibly ''Dutailliopsis'', all from New Caledonia, might also be nested in ''Melicope'', although they are accepted in the 2021 classification, as is the temperate Asian genus ''Tetradium'', which has sometimes been merged into ''Melicope'' (possibly including the tropical '' Euodia'').

Ecology

Melicopes are foodplants for various animals, mainly invertebrates. Caterpillars of the Ulysses butterfly (''Papilio ulysses'') are fond of '' M. elleryana''. Caterpillars of ''Thyrocopa'' moths have been found on '' M. clusiifolia''. The larvae of some belid weevils from the genus '' Proterhinus'' also feed on ''Melicope'' although they prefer unhealthy, dying or dead specimens. The plants of some species may not be safe for humans. The nectar of wharangi ('' M. ternata'') is known to yield toxic honey that may kill whoever eats it.Espina-Prez & Ordetx-Ros (1983): p.35

Conservation

Several of the Hawaiian species are listed as "endangered" by the Government of the United States of America, due to habitat loss and competition from invasive non-native plants. A few species are already extinct.

Species list

The following is a list of species accepted by the Plants of the World Online as at July 2020:

* ''Melicope aberrans'' T.G.Hartley – New Guinea (N.G.)
* '' Melicope accedens'' (Blume) T.G.Hartley – tropical Asia
* '' Melicope acuminata'' (Merr.) T.G.Hartley
* '' Melicope adscendens'' (H.St.John & Hume) T.G.Hartley & B.C.Stone - Hawaii
* '' Melicope aequata'' T.G.Hartley – N.G.
* '' Melicope affinis'' T.G.Hartley – Queensland (Qld.)
* '' Melicope alba'' Lauterb. – N.G.
* '' Melicope albiflora'' (Rech.) T.G.Hartley – Samoa
* '' Melicope alpestris'' T.G.Hartley – Philippines
* ''Melicope aneura'' (Lauterb.) T.G.Hartley – N.G.
* '' Melicope anisata'' (H.Mann) T.G.Hartley & B.C.Stone mokihana – Hawaii (?)
* '' Melicope anomala'' (Lauterb.) T.G.Hartley – N.G.
* '' Melicope bakeri'' T.G.Hartley – Madagascar
* '' Melicope balankazo'' (H.Perrier) T.G.Hartley
* '' Melicope balansae'' Guillaumin – New Caledonia (N.C.)
* '' Melicope balgooyi'' Appelhans, W.L.Wagner & K.R.Wood – Tubuai
* ''Melicope balloui'' (Rock) T.G.Hartley & B.C.Stone rock pelea – Hawaii
* ''Melicope barbigera'' A.Gray – Hawaii
* '' Melicope belahe'' (Baill.) T.G.Hartley
* '' Melicope benguetensis'' (Elmer) T.G.Hartley
* '' Melicope blancoi'' T.G.Hartley – Philippines
* '' Melicope bonwickii'' (F.Muell.) T.G.Hartley – Java, Borneo, the Philippines, N.G., Qld.
* '' Melicope borbonica'' (Bory) T.G.Hartley bois de catafaille blanc – Réunion
* ''Melicope boweriana'' (Christoph.) T.G.Hartley – Samoa
* '' Melicope bracteata'' (Nadeaud) S.L.Welsh – Cook Islands, Tubuai, Society Islands
* '' Melicope brassii'' T.G.Hartley – N.G.
* ''Melicope broadbentiana'' F.M.Bailey – Qld.
* '' Melicope buennemeijeri'' T.G.Hartley – Sumatra
* ''Melicope burmahia'' (Raizada & K.Naray.) T.G.Hartley – Myanmar
* '' Melicope burttiana'' B.C.Stone – Solomon Islands, Santa Cruz Island
* ''Melicope buwaldae'' T.G.Hartley – Sumatra
* '' Melicope calycina'' T.G.Hartley – Lesser Sunda Islands
* '' Melicope capillacea'' (Gillespie) A.C.Sm. – Fiji
* ''Melicope carrii'' T.G.Hartley – N.G.
* '' Melicope celebica'' T.G.Hartley – Sulawesi
* '' Melicope chapelieri'' (Baill.) T.G.Hartley – Mauritius
* ''Melicope christophersenii'' (H.St.John) T.G.Hartley & B.C.Stone – Hawaii
* '' Melicope chunii'' (Merr.) T.G.Hartley – Hainan
* '' Melicope cinerea'' A.Gray – Hawaii
* '' Melicope clemensiae'' T.G.Hartley – Borneo
* ''Melicope clusiifolia'' (A.Gray) T.G.Hartley & B.C.Stone – Hawaii
* ''Melicope confusa'' (Merr.) Tang S.Liu – tropical Asia
* '' Melicope conjuga'' T.G.Hartley – N.G. to Bismarck Archipelago
* '' Melicope contermina'' C.Moore & F.Muell. – Lord Howe Island
* '' Melicope coodeana'' T.G.Hartley – Réunion
* ''Melicope corneri'' T.G.Hartley – Peninsula Malaysia
* '' Melicope cornuta'' (Hillebr.) Appelhans, K.R.Wood & W.L.Wagner – Hawaii
* ''Melicope crassifolia'' (Merr.) T.G.Hartley – Vietnam
* '' Melicope crassiramis'' (K.Schum.) T.G.Hartley
* '' Melicope cravenii'' T.G.Hartley – N.G.
* '' Melicope crispula'' (Merr. & L.M.Perry) T.G.Hartley
* '' Melicope cruciata'' (A.Heller) T.G.Hartley & B.C.Stone cross-bearing pelea (extinct) – Hawaii
* ''Melicope cucullata'' (Gillespie) A.C.Sm. – Fiji
* ''Melicope degeneri'' (B.C.Stone) T.G.Hartley & B.C.Stone – Hawaii
* '' Melicope denhamii'' (Seem.) T.G.Hartley – N.G., Vanuatu, Santa Cruz Island
* '' Melicope dicksoniana'' T.G.Hartley – N.G.
* '' Melicope discolor'' (Baker) T.G.Hartley
* '' Melicope doormani-montis'' (Lauterb.) T.G.Hartley
* '' Melicope dubia'' (Merr.) T.G.Hartley
* '' Melicope durifolia'' (K.Schum.) T.G.Hartley – N.G.
* '' Melicope elleryana'' (F.Muell.) T.G.Hartley – N.G., Solomon Islands, Santa Cruz Island, Qld.
* ''Melicope elliptica'' A.Gray – Hawaii
* '' Melicope eriophylla'' (Merr. & L.M.Perry) T.G.Hartley
* ''Melicope erromangensis'' T.G.Hartley – Vanuatu
* '' Melicope euneura'' (Miq.) T.G.Hartley
* ''Melicope evanensis'' (A.C.Sm.) A.C.Sm. – Fiji
* '' Melicope exuta'' T.G.Hartley – N.G.
* '' Melicope fatraina'' (H.Perrier) T.G.Hartley
* '' Melicope fatuhivensis'' (F.Br.) T.G.Hartley & B.C.Stone – Marquesas Islands
* ''Melicope feddei'' (H.Lév.) T.G.Hartley & B.C.Stone – Hawaii
* ''Melicope fellii'' T.G.Hartley – Qld.
* '' Melicope flaviflora'' A.C.Sm. – Fiji
* ''Melicope floribunda'' (Baker) T.G.Hartley
* '' Melicope forbesii'' (Baker f.) T.G.Hartley – Santa Cruz Island
* '' Melicope frutescens'' (Blanco) Appelhans & J.Wen
* '' Melicope fulva'' (Guillaumin) B.C.Stone – N.C.
* ''Melicope glabella'' T.G.Hartley – Philippines
* ''Melicope glaberrima'' Guillaumin – N.C.
* '' Melicope glabra'' (Blume) T.G.Hartley – Malaysia, Andaman and Nicobar Islands
* '' Melicope glomerata'' (Craib) T.G.Hartley – Mainland Southeast Asia
* '' Melicope goilalensis'' T.G.Hartley – N.G.
* '' Melicope grisea'' (Planch.) T.G.Hartley – Bonin Islands to Volcano Islands
* '' Melicope haleakalae'' (B.C.Stone) T.G.Hartley & B.C.Stone Maui ruta tree (extinct) – Hawaii
* ''Melicope haupuensis'' (H.St.John) T.G.Hartley & B.C.Stone – Hawaii
* '' Melicope hawaiensis'' (Wawra) T.G.Hartley & B.C.Stone – Hawaii
* '' Melicope hayesii'' T.G.Hartley – Qld., New South Wales (N.S.W.)
* '' Melicope hiepkoi'' T.G.Hartley – N.G.
* '' Melicope hiiakae'' (B.C.Stone) T.G.Hartley & B.C.Stone – Hawaii
* '' Melicope hivaoaensis'' J.Florence – Marquesas
* ''Melicope homeophylla'' A.C.Sm. – Fiji
* '' Melicope hookeri'' T.G.Hartley
* '' Melicope hosakae'' (H.St.John) W.L.Wagner & R.K.Shannon – Hawaii
* ''Melicope idiocarpa'' T.G.Hartley – Sulawesi
* '' Melicope improvisa'' T.G.Hartley – N.G.
* '' Melicope incana'' T.G.Hartley – Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi
* '' Melicope indica'' Wight
* '' Melicope inopinata'' J.Florence – Marquesas
* ''Melicope irifica'' (Coode) T.G.Hartley – Réunion
* ''Melicope jonesii'' T.G.Hartley – Qld.
* '' Melicope jugosa'' T.G.Hartley – Borneo
* ''Melicope kaalaensis'' (H.St.John) T.G.Hartley & B.C.Stone – Hawaii
* '' Melicope kainantuensis'' T.G.Hartley – N.G.
* '' Melicope kavaiensis'' (H.Mann) T.G.Hartley & B.C.Stone – Hawaii
* ''Melicope kjellbergii'' T.G.Hartley – Sulawesi
* ''Melicope knudsenii'' (Hillebr.) T.G.Hartley & B.C.Stone Knudsen's melicope – Hawaii
* '' Melicope kostermansii'' T.G.Hartley – Maluku Islands to N.G.
* ''Melicope laevis'' T.G.Hartley – Vanuatu
* '' Melicope lamii'' Lauterb. – N.G.
* '' Melicope lasioneura'' (Baill.) Baill. ex Guillaumin
* '' Melicope latifolia'' (DC.) T.G.Hartley – Malaysia, Lesser Sunda Island, Myanmar, Samoa, Santa Cruz Island
* ''Melicope lauterbachii'' T.G.Hartley
* ''Melicope laxa'' (Elmer)T.G.Hartley
* ''Melicope leptococca'' Guillaumin – N.C.
* ''Melicope littoralis'' (Endl.) T.G.Hartley ex P.S.Green – Norfolk Island
* ''Melicope lobocarpa'' (F.Muell.) T.G.Hartley
* '' Melicope longior'' T.G.Hartley – Bismarck Archipelago
* '' Melicope lucida'' (A.Gray) A.C.Sm. – Pacific Islands
* ''Melicope lunu-ankenda

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