''Ormosia'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of legumes (

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Fabaceae). The more than 100 living

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

, mostly

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

s or large shrubs, are distributed throughout the

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

regions of the world, some extending into

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout ...

zones, especially in

East Asia East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both Geography, geographical and culture, ethno-cultural terms. The modern State (polity), states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. ...

. A few species are threatened by

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

, while the Hainan ormosia (''Ormosia howii'') is probably extinct already. Plants in this genus are commonly known as horse-eye beans or simply ormosias, and in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

by the somewhat ambiguous term ''"chocho"''. The scientific name ''Ormosia'' is a ''

nomen conservandum Nomen may refer to: *Nomen (Roman name), the middle part of Ancient Roman names * Nomen (Ancient Egypt), the personal name of Ancient Egyptian pharaohs * Jaume Nomen (born 1960), Catalan astronomer *Nomen, Latin for a certain part of speech In gr ...

'', overruling ''Toulichiba'' which is formally rejected under the '' International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants''. The

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

s of these plants are poisonous if eaten, but often look pretty, with bright colors and decorative patterns reminiscent of an eye; the common name "horse-eye beans" refers to these seeds. They resemble the seeds of '' Abrus'', snoutbeans (''Rhynchosia''), and '' Adenanthera'', but are much larger than the former two. In particular those of ''

Ormosia coccinea ''Ormosia coccinea'' is a plant that grows throughout the South Eastern North American countries, and all throughout South America. It produces beautiful red seeds with one black spot covering one-third of its surface. These seeds are used for ...

'' are often used for

jewelry Jewellery ( UK) or jewelry ( U.S.) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the clothes. From a w ...

and other decorative purposes, or as

good luck charm In most contexts, the concept of good denotes the conduct that should be preferred when posed with a choice between possible actions. Good is generally considered to be the opposite of evil and is of interest in the study of ethics, morality, ph ...

s. The seeds float and are occasionally found as " sea beans". Otherwise, ''Ormosia'' wood is used as

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, w ...

or firewood. Some species, for example '' Ormosia nobilis'', are also used in

folk medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

Fossil record

8 dehiscent seed pod fossils of one ''Ormosia'' species from the middle

Eocene epoch The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', "daw ...

have been examined from Warman clay pit in Weakley County, while 52 fossil leaflets of two ''Ormosia'' species have been described from Warman, New Lawrence and Lamkin clay pits in Weakley and

Henry Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) * Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

Counties,

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

Species

''Ormosia'' comprises the following species: * '' Ormosia altimontana'' Meireles & H.C. Lima * '' Ormosia amazonica'' Ducke * '' Ormosia antioquensis'' Rudd * '' Ormosia apiculata'' L. Chen * '' Ormosia arborea'' (Vell.) Harms * '' Ormosia assamica'' Yakovlev * '' Ormosia avilensis'' Pittier * '' Ormosia bahiensis'' Monach. * '' Ormosia balansae'' Drake * '' Ormosia bancana'' (Miq.) Merr. * '' Ormosia bolivarensis'' (Rudd) C.H. Stirt. * '' Ormosia boluoensis'' Y.Q. Wang & P.Y. Chen * '' Ormosia bopiensis'' J.F. Macbr. * '' Ormosia calavensis'' Blanco * '' Ormosia cambodiana'' Gagnep. * '' Ormosia chevalieri'' Niyomdham * '' Ormosia cinerea'' Benoist * '' Ormosia coarctata'' Jacks. * ''

'' (Aubl.) Jacks. ** var. ''coccinea'' (Aubl.) Jacks. ** var. ''subsimplex'' (Benth.) Rudd * '' Ormosia colombiana'' Rudd * '' Ormosia costulata'' (Miq.) Kleinhoonte * '' Ormosia coutinhoi'' Ducke— red horse-eye bean * '' Ormosia crassivalvis'' Gagnep. * '' Ormosia cruenta'' Rudd * '' Ormosia cuatrecasasii'' Rudd * '' Ormosia discolor'' Benth. * '' Ormosia elata'' Rudd * '' Ormosia elliptica'' Q.W. Yao & R.H. Chang * '' Ormosia emarginata'' (Hook. & Arn.) Benth. * '' Ormosia eugeniifolia'' R.H. Chang * '' Ormosia excelsa'' Benth. * '' Ormosia fastigiata'' Tul. * '' Ormosia ferruginea'' R.H. Chang * '' Ormosia flava'' (Ducke) Rudd * '' Ormosia fordiana'' Oliv. * '' Ormosia formosana'' Kaneh. * ''

Ormosia friburgensis ''Ormosia'' is a genus of legumes (family Fabaceae). The more than 100 living species, mostly trees or large shrubs, are distributed throughout the tropical regions of the world, some extending into temperate zones, especially in East Asia. A ...

'' Glaz. * '' Ormosia froesii'' Rudd * '' Ormosia glaberrima'' Y.C. Wu * '' Ormosia glauca'' Wall. * '' Ormosia gracilis'' Prain * '' Ormosia grandiflora'' (Tul.) Rudd * '' Ormosia grandistipulata'' Whitmore * '' Ormosia grossa'' Rudd * '' Ormosia hekouensis'' R.H. Chang * '' Ormosia hengchuniana'' T.C. Huang, S.F. Huang & K.C. Yang * '' Ormosia henryi'' Prain * '' Ormosia hoaensis'' Gagnep. * '' Ormosia holerythra'' Ducke * '' Ormosia hosiei'' Hemsl. & E.H. Wilson * '' Ormosia howii'' L. Chen— Hainan ormosia (probably extinct) * '' Ormosia indurata'' L. Chen * '' Ormosia inflata'' Merr. & L. Chen * '' Ormosia intermedia'' N. Zamora * '' Ormosia isthmensis'' Standl. * '' Ormosia jamaicensis'' Urb. * '' Ormosia kerrii'' Niyomdham * '' Ormosia krugii'' Urb. * '' Ormosia laosensis'' Niyomdham * '' Ormosia larecajana'' Rudd * '' Ormosia lewisii'' D.B.O.S.Cardoso ''et al''. * '' Ormosia lignivalvis'' Rudd * '' Ormosia limae'' D.B.O.S.Cardoso & L.P.Queiroz * '' Ormosia longipes'' L. Chen * ''

Ormosia macrocalyx ''Ormosia'' is a genus of legumes (family (biology), family Fabaceae). The more than 100 living species, mostly trees or large shrubs, are distributed throughout the tropical regions of the world, some extending into temperate zones, especially ...

'' Ducke * '' Ormosia macrodisca'' Baker * '' Ormosia macrophylla'' Benth. * '' Ormosia maguireorum'' Rudd * '' Ormosia mataridek'' Aymard & Sanoja * '' Ormosia melanocarpa'' Kleinhoonte * '' Ormosia microphylla'' Merr. & L. Chen * '' Ormosia minor'' Vogel * '' Ormosia monosperma'' (Sw.) Urb. * '' Ormosia nanningensis'' L. Chen * '' Ormosia napoensis'' Z. Wei & R.H. Chang * '' Ormosia nitida'' Vogel * '' Ormosia nobilis'' Tul. ** var. ''nobilis'' Tul. ** var. ''santaremnensis'' (Ducke) Rudd * '' Ormosia nuda'' (F.C. How) R.H. Chang & Q.W. Yao * '' Ormosia oaxacana'' Rudd * '' Ormosia olivacea'' L. Chen * '' Ormosia ormondii'' (F. Muell.) Merr. * '' Ormosia pachycarpa'' Benth.— Hairy-fruited Ormosia * '' Ormosia pachyptera'' L. Chen * '' Ormosia panamensis'' Benth.—''coronil, sur espino'' * '' Ormosia paniculata'' Merr. * '' Ormosia paraensis'' Ducke * '' Ormosia penangensis'' Ridl. * '' Ormosia peruviana'' Rudd * '' Ormosia pingbianensis'' W.C. Cheng & R.H. Chang * '' Ormosia pinnata'' (Lour.) Merr. * '' Ormosia poilanei'' Niyomdham * '' Ormosia polita'' Prain * '' Ormosia pubescens'' R.H. Chang * '' Ormosia purpureiflora'' L. Chen * '' Ormosia revoluta'' Rudd * '' Ormosia robusta'' Baker * '' Ormosia ruddiana'' Yakovlev * '' Ormosia saxatilis'' K.M. Lan * '' Ormosia scandens'' Prain * '' Ormosia schippii'' Standl. & Steyerm. * '' Ormosia schunkei'' Rudd * '' Ormosia semicastrata'' Hance ** f. ''litchifolia'' F. C. How ** f. ''pallida'' F. C. How ** f. ''semicastrata'' Hance * '' Ormosia sericeolucida'' L. Chen * '' Ormosia simplicifolia'' Merr. & L. Chen * '' Ormosia smithii'' Rudd * '' Ormosia solimoesensis'' Rudd * '' Ormosia steyermarkii'' Rudd * '' Ormosia stipulacea'' Meeuwen * '' Ormosia stipularis'' Ducke * '' Ormosia striata'' Dunn * '' Ormosia sumatrana'' (Miq.) Prain * '' Ormosia surigaensis'' Merr. * '' Ormosia tavoyana'' Prain * '' Ormosia timboënsis'' D. Cardoso, Meireles & H.C. Lima * '' Ormosia tonkinensis'' Gagnep. * '' Ormosia tovarensis'' Pittier * '' Ormosia travancorica'' Bedd. * '' Ormosia trifoliolata'' Huber * '' Ormosia tsangii'' L. Chen * '' Ormosia velutina'' Rudd * '' Ormosia venezolana'' Rudd * '' Ormosia venosa'' Baker * '' Ormosia vicosana'' Rudd * '' Ormosia williamsii'' Rudd * '' Ormosia xylocarpa'' Merr. & L. Chen * '' Ormosia zahnii'' Harms

Species names with uncertain taxonomic status

The status of the following species is unresolved: * ''Ormosia apiculata'' H.Y. Chen * ''Ormosia carinata'' N.Zamora * ''Ormosia clementis'' Merr. * ''Ormosia dubia'' Prain * ''Ormosia esquirolii'' H.Lév. * ''Ormosia floribunda'' Wall. * ''Ormosia friburgensis'' Taub. ex Harms * ''Ormosia galericulata'' C.H. Stirt. * ''Ormosia howii'' Merr. & Chun * ''Ormosia indurata'' H.Y. Chen * ''Ormosia inflata'' Merr. & Chun * ''Ormosia longipes'' H.Y. Chen * ''Ormosia microphylla'' Merr. * ''Ormosia monophylla'' (Harms) Stapf * ''Ormosia nanningensis'' H.Y. Chen * ''Ormosia olivacea'' H.Y. Chen * ''Ormosia pachyptera'' H.Y. Chen * ''Ormosia panamensis'' Benth. ex Seem. * ''Ormosia pingbianensis'' M. Cheng & R.H. Chang * ''Ormosia purpureiflora'' H.Y. Chen * ''Ormosia ridleyi'' King * ''Ormosia sericeolucida'' H.Y. Chen * ''Ormosia simplicifolia'' Merr. & Chun * ''Ormosia vagraja'' C.H. Stirt. * ''Ormosia xylocarpa'' Chun ex Merr. & H.Y. Chen * ''Placolobium ellipticum'' N.D. Khoi & Yakovlev * ''Placolobium vietnamense'' N.D. Khoi & YakovlevThese three are accepted species, but have yet to be formally transferred to ''Ormosia''. * ''Placolobium watsonii'' (C. Fischer) Yakovlev

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2872596 Fabaceae genera Taxonomy articles created by Polbot