''Rhynchocalyx lawsonioides'' is a small

flowering A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

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 ...

, the sole species of the genus ''Rhynchocalyx''. It had also previously been regarded as the only species in the monogeneric family Rhynchocalycaceae but is now included in the expanded

Penaeaceae The Penaeaceae are a family of evergreen, leathery-leaved shrubs and small trees, native to South Africa. The family has 29 species in 9 genera.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards)Penaeaceae.

along with ''

Olinia ''Olinia'' is a genus of small trees and shrubs with 10 species in the family Penaeaceae. The species of ''Olinia'' are native to Africa, ranging from west Africa to South Africa. It was previously regarded as the sole genus in the family Oliniac ...

'' (formerly of the Oliniaceae) under the

APG III system The APG III system of flowering plant classification is the third version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy being developed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG). Published in 2009, it was superseded in 2016 by a fur ...

of classification. ''Rhynchocalyx'' is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the KwaZulu-Cape coastal forest mosaic ecoregion of the

Natal NATAL or Natal may refer to: Places * Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, a city in Brazil * Natal, South Africa (disambiguation), a region in South Africa ** Natalia Republic, a former country (1839–1843) ** Colony of Natal, a former British colony ...

and

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...

provinces of

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

References

Schönenberger, J. and Conti, E., 2003. Molecular phylogeny and floral evolution of Penaeaceae, Oliniaceae, Rhynchocalycaceae, and Alzateaceae (Myrtales). ''American Journal of Botany'' 90: 293–309. Monotypic Myrtales genera Penaeaceae Flora of the Cape Provinces Flora of KwaZulu-Natal Trees of South Africa Vulnerable plants Taxa named by Daniel Oliver {{Myrtales-stub