''Tovomita'' 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 ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the family

Clusiaceae The Clusiaceae or Guttiferae Juss. (1789) (''nom. alt. et cons.'' = alternative and valid name) are a family (biology), family of plants including 13 genera and ca 750 species. Several former members of Clusiacae are now placed in Calophyllaceae ...

. They are noted for having white-yellow

latex Latex is an emulsion (stable dispersion) of polymer microparticles in water. Latexes are found in nature, but synthetic latexes are common as well. In nature, latex is found as a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants (angiosperms ...

and containing

xanthone Xanthone is an organic compound with the molecular formula O 6H4sub>2CO. It is a white solid. In 1939, xanthone was introduced as an insecticide and it currently finds uses as ovicide for codling moth eggs and as a larvicide. Xanthone is also ...

s. The genus is distributed in 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 ...

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

, with many occurring in

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

. Most are native to the forests of the

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...

.BGCI publishes Red List of Neotropical genus ''Tovomita''.
Botanic Gardens Conservation International. Most ''Tovomita'' species are trees, and a few are shrubs. They sometimes have

buttress root Buttress roots also known as plank roots are large, wide roots on all sides of a shallowly rooted tree. Typically, they are found in nutrient-poor tropical forest soils that may not be very deep. They prevent the tree from falling over (hence t ...

s. There are monoecious and dioecious species.Cuello, N. L
''Tovomita''.
In: J. A., et al., Eds. ''Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana''. Missouri Botanical Garden. The taxonomy of this genus and its relatives is a current topic of research.

Phylogenetic analyses In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...

have helped to clarify relationships between the species, and many new species have been named and described in recent years.Marinho, L. C. et al. 2019.
A gold mine: four more new species of ''Tovomita'' (Clusiaceae: Clusieae) from Amazonia.
''Willdenowia'' 49(3) 343-50.Marinho, L. C., et al. 2019
Plastomes resolve generic limits within tribe Clusieae (Clusiaceae) and reveal the new genus ''Arawakia''.
''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' 134 142-51. The genus ''Tovomita'' is not monophyletic. Some species are considered to be threatened, but the conservation status for most ''Tovomita'' species is not known due to lack of data. The most significant threat to the species is the deforestation of the Amazon. As of 2019 there are about 50 species. Species include:''Tovomita''.
Plants of the World Online. Kew Science. *'' Tovomita aequatoriensis'' *''

Tovomita brasiliensis ''Tovomita'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Clusiaceae. They are noted for having white-yellow latex and containing xanthones. The genus is distributed in the tropical Americas, with many occurring in Venezuela. Most are native to t ...

'' *'' Tovomita brevistaminea'' *'' Tovomita chachapoyasensis'' *'' Tovomita croatii'' *''

Tovomita longifolia ''Tovomita'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Clusiaceae. They are noted for having white-yellow latex and containing xanthones. The genus is distributed in the tropical Americas, with many occurring in Venezuela. Most are native to t ...

'' *''

Tovomita macrophylla ''Tovomita'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Clusiaceae. They are noted for having white-yellow latex and containing xanthones. The genus is distributed in the tropical Americas, with many occurring in Venezuela. Most are native to t ...

'' *'' Tovomita microcarpa'' *''

Tovomita rubella ''Tovomita'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Clusiaceae. They are noted for having white-yellow latex and containing xanthones. The genus is distributed in the tropical Americas, with many occurring in Venezuela. Most are native to t ...

'' *''

Tovomita stylosa ''Tovomita'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Clusiaceae. They are noted for having white-yellow latex and containing xanthones. The genus is distributed in the tropical Americas, with many occurring in Venezuela. Most are native to t ...

'' *'' Tovomita weberbaueri'' *''

Tovomita weddelliana ''Tovomita'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Clusiaceae. They are noted for having white-yellow latex and containing xanthones. The genus is distributed in the tropical Americas, with many occurring in Venezuela. Most are native to t ...

Taxonomy

Synonyms of this genus are: *''Marialvaea'' Mart. *''Tovomitidium'' Ducke

References

External links

*Marinho, L. C. et al
''Tovomita'' (Clusiaceae) of the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest.
Color photographic field guide to some ''Tovomita'' species. Field Museum. Malpighiales genera Neotropical realm flora {{Clusiaceae-stub