''Dombeya'' is a

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 ...

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 nomencla ...

. Traditionally included in the

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. Ideall ...

Sterculiaceae Sterculiaceae was a family of flowering plant based on the genus ''Sterculia''. Genera formerly included in Sterculiaceae are now placed in the family Malvaceae, in the subfamilies: Byttnerioideae, Dombeyoideae, Helicteroideae and Sterculioideae. ...

, it is included in the expanded

Malvaceae Malvaceae, or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include okra, cotton, cacao and durian. There are also some genera containing familiar o ...

in the APG and most subsequent systematics. These plants are known by a number of vernacular names which sometimes, misleadingly, allude to the superficial similarity of flowering ''Dombeya'' to

pear Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in the Northern Hemisphere in late summer into October. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the family Rosaceae, bearing the po ...

s or

hydrangea ''Hydrangea'', () commonly named the hortensia, is a genus of over 75 species of flowering plants native to Asia and the Americas. By far the greatest species diversity is in eastern Asia, notably China, Korea, and Japan. Most are shrubs tall, ...

s (which are unrelated). Therefore, the genus as a whole is often simply called dombeyas. The generic name commemorates

Joseph Dombey Joseph Dombey (Mâcon, France, 20 February 1742 – Montserrat, West Indies, May 1794) was a French botanist. He was involved in the "Dombey affair" which was precipitated by British seizure of a vessel his collections were on and diversion of t ...

(1742–1794), a French botanist and explorer in South America, involved in the notorious "Dombey affair", embroiling scientists and governments of France, Spain, and Britain for more than two years.

Distribution

These plants grow chiefly throughout

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

. Madagascar has the majority of species, with approximately 175 native species. 19 are found on the African mainland, with one, ''

Dombeya torrida ''Dombeya'' is a flowering plant genus. Traditionally included in the family Sterculiaceae, it is included in the expanded Malvaceae in the APG and most subsequent systematics. These plants are known by a number of vernacular names which sometim ...

'', also extending into the southwestern

Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate. ...

.Skema, Cynthia. “Toward a New Circumscription of Dombeya (Malvales: Dombeyaceae): A Molecular Phylogenetic and Morphological Study of Dombeya of Madagascar and a New Segregate Genus, Andringitra.” ''Taxon'', vol. 61, no. 3, 2012, pp. 612–628. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41679276. Accessed 23 Aug. 2021. 24 species are native to the

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. Their ...

, of which 23 are endemic to the islands. Le Péchon, Timothée, Qiang Dai, Li-Bing Zhang, Xin-Fen Gao, and Hervé Sauquet (2015). "Diversification of Dombeyoideae (Malvaceae) in the Mascarenes: Old Taxa on Young Islands?" ''International Journal of Plant Sciences'' Volume 176, Number 3 March/April 2015. https://doi.org/10.1086/679350 ''

Dombeya acutangula ''Dombeya acutangula'', the bois bete or ''mahot tantan'', is a flowering plant species found only in Mauritius and Réunion. Formerly placed in the family Sterculiaceae, this artificial assemblage is now included in the Malvaceae by most authors ...

'' is native to east Africa, Madagascar, and the Mascarenes, with a disjunct population in

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...

in Southeast Asia."''Dombeya acutangula'' Cav.". ''Plants of the World Online'', Kew Science. Accessed 23 August 2021. http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:822892-1

Taxonomy

Formerly believed to hold only about 80

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), 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 ...

, in the present delimitation, ''Dombeya'' is one of the most speciose Malvaceae genera, containing as many as 255 species. Most have been moved here from distinct genera, which are now considered

junior synonym The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnae ...

s.Hinsley (2008) Some of these might warrant recognition as

subgenera In biology, a subgenus (plural: subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between t ...

, to show the

evolution Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...

ary and

phylogenetic 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 ...

patterns of the numerous dombeyas more clearly.Cao ''et al.'' (2006) In addition to the synonyms listed here, '' Astiria'' is suspected to be a rather distinct derivative of ''Dombeya'' and would thus have to be included in the present genus. This requires renaming of species, as ''A. rosea'' conflicts with ''D. rosea'', a junior synonym of '' D. burgessiae''. Furthermore, several species have been moved here from related genera that are still valid, namely '' Pentapetes''. ''Dombeya'' of L'Héritier de Brutelle is a synonym of '' Tourrettia'' (

Bignoniaceae Bignoniaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Lamiales commonly known as the bignonias or trumpetvines.Vernon H. Heywood, Richard K. Brummitt, Ole Seberg, and Alastair Culham. ''Flowering Plant Families of the World''. Firefly Books: ...

). ''Dombeya'' of

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 biolog ...

is a synonym of ''

Araucaria ''Araucaria'' (; original pronunciation: .ɾawˈka. ɾja is a genus of evergreen coniferous trees in the family Araucariaceae. There are 20 extant species in New Caledonia (where 14 species are endemic, see New Caledonian ''Araucaria ...

''.

Selected species

There are 203 accepted species of ''Dombeya''."''Dombeya'' Cav.". ''Plants of the World Online'', Kew Science. Accessed 23 August 2021. http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:331567-2 Selected species include: * '' Dombeya acerifolia'' Baker (= ''D. acerifolia'' var. ''typica'' Hochr.) Madagascar * '' Dombeya acuminatissima'' Hochr. eastern Madagascar. * ''

'' Cav. – Bois Bete, ''mahot tantan''. East Africa (Tanzania to Mozambique), Madagascar, Mascarene Islands, and Laos. * '' Dombeya aethiopica'' Gilli Ethiopia * '' Dombeya albisquama'' Arènes central-eastern Madagascar * '' Dombeya albotomentosa'' Arènes central Madagascar * '' Dombeya alleizettei'' Arènes central Madagascar * '' Dombeya amaniensis'' Engl. Tanzania * '' Dombeya ambalabeensis'' Arènes southwestern and southern Madagascar * '' Dombeya ambatosoratrensis'' Arènes central-eastern Madagascar * '' Dombeya ambohitrensis'' Arènes northern Madagascar * '' Dombeya ambositrensis'' Arènes central Madagascar * '' Dombeya ameliae'' Guill. east-central Madagascar * '' Dombeya amplifolia'' Arènes central-eastern Madagascar * '' Dombeya anakaensis'' Arènes southwestern Madagascar * '' Dombeya andapensis'' Arènes central and eastern Madagascar * '' Dombeya andrahomanensis'' Arènes southern Madagascar * '' Dombeya angustipetala'' Arènes eastern Madagascar * '' Dombeya ankaratrensis'' Arènes central Madagascar * '' Dombeya ankazobeensis'' Arènes central Madagascar * '' Dombeya anonyensis'' Arènes central Madagascar * '' Dombeya antsianakensis'' Baill. central and eastern Madagascar * '' Dombeya apikyensis'' Arènes southeastern Madagascar * '' Dombeya aquifoliopsis'' Hochr. eastern Madagascar * '' Dombeya asymmetrica'' Appleq. Madagascar * '' Dombeya australis'' Scott-Elliot southeastern Madagascar * '' Dombeya autumnalis'' I.Verd. Northern Province of South Africa * '' Dombeya baronii'' Baker central and eastern Madagascar * '' Dombeya bathiei'' Hochr. central Madagascar * '' Dombeya befotakensis'' Arènes eastern Madagascar * '' Dombeya bemarivensis'' (Hochr.) Arènes central Madagascar * '' Dombeya biumbellata'' Baker central Madagascar * '' Dombeya blattiolens'' Frapp. ex Cordem. Réunion * '' Dombeya boehmiana'' (= ''Vincentia boehmiana'' (F.Hoffm.) Burret) * '' Dombeya borraginea'' Hochr. western Madagascar * '' Dombeya breonii'' Appleq. Central and eastern Madagascar * '' Dombeya brevistyla'' Arènes Central and eastern Madagascar * '' Dombeya buettneri'' K.Schum. tropical Africa from Guinea to Ethiopia and Zambia * '' Dombeya burgessiae'' Gerrard ex Harv. (= ''D. greenwayi'' Wild, ''D. mastersii'' Hook.f., ''D. parvifolia'' K.Schum., ''D. rosea'' E.G.Baker, ''D. tanganyikensis'' Baker) South Sudan to Angola and South Africa * ''

Dombeya cacuminum ''Dombeya'' is a flowering plant genus. Traditionally included in the family Sterculiaceae, it is included in the expanded Malvaceae in the APG and most subsequent systematics. These plants are known by a number of vernacular names which sometim ...

'' Hochr. northern and central Madagascar * '' Dombeya ciliata'' Cordem. Réunion * '' Dombeya coria'' Baill. central and eastern Madagascar * '' Dombeya cymosa'' Harv. southern Mozambique to South Africa * '' Dombeya decanthera'' Cav. (= ''D. bojeriana'' Baill., ''Melhania decanthera'' (Cav.) DC) southeastern Madagascar * '' Dombeya delislei'' Arènes. Réunion * '' Dombeya elegans'' Cordem. – sometimes included in ''D. burgessiae''. Réunion * '' Dombeya ferruginea'' Cav. (= ''Pentapetes ferruginea'' Poir.) Mauritius, Réunion ** ''Dombeya ferruginea'' ssp. ''borbonica'' F.Friedmann ** ''Dombeya ferruginea'' ssp. ''ferruginea'' * '' Dombeya ficulnea'' Baill. – sometimes erroneously included in ''D. punctata''Cao ''et al.'' (2006), Hinsley (2008). Réunion * '' Dombeya formosa'' Le Péchon & Pausé Réunion * '' Dombeya glandulosissima'' Arènes eastern Madagascar * '' Dombeya kirkii'' Mast. southern Ethiopia to KwaZulu-Natal * '' Dombeya laurifolia'' (Bojer) Baill. (= ''D. parkeri'' Baill., ''D. valimpony'' R.Vig. & Humbert, ''D. valimpony'' f. ''obovalopsis'' Hochr., ''Melhania laurifolia'' Bojer) central Madagascar * '' Dombeya leandrii'' Arènes western Madagascar * '' Dombeya ledermannii'' Engl. Nigeria and Cameroon * '' Dombeya longebracteolata'' Seyani southwestern and southern Ethiopia * '' Dombeya macrantha'' Baker (= ''Andringitra macrantha'' (Baker) Skema) central Madagascar * '' Dombeya mauritiana'' F.Friedmann Mauritius * '' Dombeya montana'' (Hochr.) Arènes (= ''D. acerifolia'' var. ''montana'' Hochr.) central Madagascar * '' Dombeya palmatisecta'' Hochr. Madagascar * '' Dombeya pilosa'' Cordem. Réunion * '' Dombeya populnea'' Baill. (= ''Pentapetes populnea'' Poir.) Mauritius, Réunion * '' Dombeya pulchra'' N.E.Br. South Africa: Northern Province to KwaZulu-Natal * '' Dombeya punctata'' Cav. (= ''D. lancea'' Cordem., ''D. pervillei'' Baill., ''Pentapetes punctata'' Poir.) Réunion * '' Dombeya reclinata'' Cordem. Réunion * '' Dombeya rodriguesiana'' F.Friedmann Rodrigues * '' Dombeya rottleroides'' Baill. northern and central Madagascar * ''

Dombeya rotundifolia ''Dombeya rotundifolia'', the dikbas or "South African wild pear" (it is not related to pear trees), is a small deciduous tree with dark grey to blackish deeply fissured bark, found in Southern Africa and northwards to central and eastern trop ...

'' (Hochst.) Planch. – Blompeer or "South African Wild Pear". Southern Ethiopia to South Africa * '' Dombeya sevathianii'' Le Péchon & Baider Mauritius * '' Dombeya shupangae'' K.Schum. southeastern Kenya to Mozambique and Democratic Republic of the Congo * '' Dombeya spectabilis'' Bojer (= ''D. chapelieri'' Baill., ''D. humblotii'' Baill., ''D. lantziana'' Baill., ''D. rotundifolia'' Bojer) east-central Madagascar * '' Dombeya tiliacea'' (Endl.) Planch. (= ''Xeropetalum tiliaceum'' Endl.) South Africa: Eastern Cape Province to KwaZulu-Natal * ''

'' (J.F.Gmel.) Bamps Central African Republic to Eritrea, Zambia, and Malawi; also Yemen and southwestern Saudi Arabia. * '' Dombeya tsaratananensis'' (Hochr.) Arènes (= ''D. ficulnea'' var. ''tsaratananensis'' Hochr.) central Madagascar * '' Dombeya umbellata'' Cav. (= ''Pentapetes umbellata'' Poir.) Réunion * '' Dombeya wallichii'' (Lindl.) K.Schum. (= ''Astrapaea wallichii'' Lindl.) –

Pink-ball ''Dombeya wallichii'' is a flowering shrub of the family Malvaceae known by the common names pinkball, pink ball tree, and tropical hydrangea.Carter, KTropical Hydrangea: ''Dombeya wallichi''.Center for Landscape and Urban Horticulture. Universit ...

, "Tropical Hydrangea". Eastern Madagascar

Footnotes

References

* (2006): Does minimizing homoplasy really maximize homology? MaHo: A method for evaluating homology among most parsimonious trees. '' C. R. Palevol'' 7(1): 17–26. (HTML abstract) * (2008)
Partial Synonymy of ''Dombeya''
Retrieved 2008-JUN-25.

External links

* malvaceae.info

Retrieved 2008-JUN-25. * PlantListbr>search for Dombeya
Retrieved 20190318. {{Taxonbar, from=Q908118 Malvaceae genera Dombeyoideae Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Afrotropical realm flora Taxa named by Antonio José Cavanilles