''Clethra'' 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 flowering shrubs or small

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 described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1753.Linnaeus, Carl von. 1753. Species Plantarum 1: 396
in Latin ''Clethra'' is one of two genera in the family

Clethraceae The Clethraceae are a small family of flowering plants in the order Ericales, composed of two genera, ''Clethra'' and '' Purdiaea'', with approximately 75 species. They are native to warm temperate to tropical regions of Asia and the Americas, w ...

(the other being ''

Purdiaea ''Purdiaea'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Clethraceae described as a genus in 1846. It is one of two genera in this family, and was formerly classified in the related family Cyrillaceae. ''Purdiaea'' is native to tropical regions ...

''). The species may be

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...

, and all bear

flowers 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 ...

in clusters (inflorescences), which correspond to

racemes A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...

panicles A panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a panicle are o ...

. The flowers are quite small, white or pinkish, and each bear 5 free

petals Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corolla''. Petals are usually ...

, numerous stamens, and a 3-chambered seed capsule. The leaves, simple, ovate, and alternate or opposite, bear characteristic stellate

hairs Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and f ...

. The seeds are very small and numerous.

Distribution

''Clethra'' species are

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

to a variety of habitats, including swamps, woodland, and rocky sites from

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 ...

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 ...

climates in eastern and southeastern Asia,

Malesia Malesia is a biogeographical region straddling the Equator and the boundaries of the Indomalayan and Australasian realms, and also a phytogeographical floristic region in the Paleotropical Kingdom. It has been given different definitions. Th ...

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north ...

and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...

, and one species (''C. arborea'') on the island of Madeira.

Fossil record

Several

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

fruits and seeds of †''Clethra cimbrica'' have been described from middle Miocene strata of the Fasterholt area near

Silkeborg Silkeborg () is a Danish town with a population of 49,747 (1 January 2022).Jutland Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

Species

The number of species accepted varies between different authorities depending on taxonomic interpretation, but with a recent trend to reduce the number recognised as distinct. The recent ''

Flora of China (series) ''Flora of China'' is a scientific publication aimed at describing the plants native to China. The project is a collaborative scientific effort to publish the first modern English-language account of the 31,000 species of vascular plants of C ...

'' has cut the number accepted for China from 35 to seven species, and the

US Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of comme ...

US Department of Agriculture plants profile
/ref> recognises only two in the United States, synonymising ''C. tomentosa'' with ''C. alnifolia''. The following are accepted by the

World Checklist of Selected Plant Families The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (usually abbreviated to WCSP) is an "international collaborative programme that provides the latest peer reviewed and published opinions on the accepted scientific names and synonyms of selected pla ...

: * '' Clethra acuminata'' – mountain pepper bush; S

Appalachians The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...

(

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

) * '' Clethra alcoceri'' -

Hidalgo Hidalgo may refer to: People * Hidalgo (nobility), members of the Spanish nobility * Hidalgo (surname) Places Mexico * Hidalgo (state), in central Mexico * Hidalgo, Coahuila, a town in the north Mexican state of Coahuila * Hidalgo, Nuevo Le� ...

, Jalisco * '' Clethra alexandri'' -

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

* '' Clethra alnifolia'' – sweet pepper bush; S + E United States (

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...

) * ''

Clethra arborea ''Clethra arborea'', commonly known as the lily-of-the-valley-tree, is a flowering plant in the genus '' Clethra''. It is found in Macaronesia where it is native to Madeira, extinct in the Canary Islands, and considered an introduced species ...

'' – lily of the valley tree; Madeira, Canary islands†,

Azores ) , motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace") , anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores") , image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg , map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union , map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...

* '' Clethra arfakana'' -

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...

* ''

Clethra barbinervis ''Clethra barbinervis'', the Japanese clethra, is a species of flowering plant in the family Clethraceae. It is native to eastern Asia, where it is found in southern China, Korea, and Japan. Its natural habitat is in open mountain forests. It is ...

'' – Japanese sweet shrub; SE China, Korea, Japan * '' Clethra bodinieri'' – S China * '' Clethra canescens'' - Philippines, E + C Indonesia, New Guinea ** var. ''clementis'' – Borneo * ''

Clethra castaneifolia ''Clethra'' is a genus of flowering shrubs or small trees described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1753.Clethra chiapensis'' - Chiapas * '' Clethra consimilis'' -

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

, Costa Rica * '' Clethra conzattiana'' -

Oaxaca Oaxaca ( , also , , from nci, Huāxyacac ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca), is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of Mexico. It is ...

* '' Clethra crispa'' –

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

* '' Clethra cubensis'' -

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

* '' Clethra cuneata'' - Peru, Bolivia * '' Clethra delavayi'' – SW China,

Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

Bhutan Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the north and India in the south. A mountainou ...

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

* '' Clethra elongata'' -

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

, Bolivia * '' Clethra fabri'' – S China, Vietnam * '' Clethra fagifolia'' - Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela * '' Clethra fargesii'' – C China * ''

Clethra ferruginea ''Clethra'' is a genus of flowering shrubs or small trees described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1753.Clethra fimbriata'' – Peru, Ecuador, Colombia * '' Clethra formosa'' - Costa Rica * '' Clethra fragrans'' - Jalisco, Michoacán,

Guerrero Guerrero is one of the 32 states that comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo and its largest city is Acapulcocopied from article, GuerreroAs of 2020, Guerrero the pop ...

* '' Clethra galeottiana'' - Puebla,

, Chiapas * '' Clethra gelida'' - Costa Rica, Panama, Honduras * '' Clethra guyanensis'' - Guyana,

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 ...

* '' Clethra hartwegii'' - C + S Mexico * ''

Clethra hendersonii ''Clethra'' is a genus of flowering shrubs or small trees described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1753.Clethra hirsutovillosa ''Clethra'' is a genus of flowering shrubs or small trees described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1753.Guerrero Guerrero is one of the 32 states that comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo and its largest city is Acapulcocopied from article, GuerreroAs of 2020, Guerrero the pop ...

* '' Clethra hondurensis'' -

Tabasco Tabasco (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tabasco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tabasco), is one of the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa. It is located in ...

to Costa Rica * '' Clethra javanica'' -

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mos ...

, Bali,

Lombok Lombok is an island in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. It forms part of the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the Lombok Strait separating it from Bali to the west and the Alas Strait between it and Sumbawa to the east. It is ...

Timor Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia on the western part. The Indonesian part, also ...

* '' Clethra kaipoensis'' – SE China * '' Clethra kebarensis'' - New Guinea * '' Clethra licanioides'' – Guatemala, Honduras * ''

Clethra longispicata ''Clethra longispicata'' is a tree in the family Clethraceae. The specific name (botany), specific epithet ' is from the Latin meaning "long spike", referring to the inflorescence. Description ''Clethra longispicata'' grows up to tall. The fiss ...

'' –

Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and ea ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, Sulawesi, Maluku * '' Clethra luzmariae'' -

* '' Clethra macrophylla'' -

Veracruz Veracruz (), formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states which, along with Me ...

, Puebla * '' Clethra mexicana'' – C + S Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad * '' Clethra oaxacana'' -

* '' Clethra obovata'' – Ecuador, Peru * '' Clethra occidentalis'' - Jamaica * '' Clethra oleoides'' - C + S Mexico, Central America * '' Clethra ovalifolia'' – Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru * '' Clethra pachecoana'' - Chiapas to Honduras * '' Clethra pachyphylla'' – Borneo * '' Clethra papuana'' - New Guinea * '' Clethra paralelinervia'' – Ecuador * '' Clethra × parvifolia'' - Chiapas * '' Clethra pedicellaris'' - Colombia, Ecuador, Peru * '' Clethra peruviana'' - Ecuador, Peru * '' Clethra petelotii'' – Vietnam, Yunnan * '' Clethra poilanei'' - Laos * '' Clethra pringlei'' - Mexican summersweet - Mexico * ''

Clethra pulgarensis ''Clethra'' is a genus of flowering shrubs or small trees described as a genus by Linnaeus in 1753.Palawan Palawan (), officially the Province of Palawan ( cyo, Probinsya i'ang Palawan; tl, Lalawigan ng Palawan), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in t ...

* '' Clethra purpusii'' - Oaxaca, Chiapas * '' Clethra pyrogena'' - Panama, Costa Rica * '' Clethra repanda'' – Colombia, Venezuela * '' Clethra retivenia'' - Peru * '' Clethra revoluta'' – Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru * '' Clethra rosei'' - Mexico * '' Clethra rugosa'' – Colombia, Ecuador * '' Clethra scabra'' – Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, NW Argentina * '' Clethra skutchii'' - Guatemala * '' Clethra sleumeriana'' - Hunan * '' Clethra suaveolens'' - S Mexico, Central America * '' Clethra sumatrana'' - Sumatra * '' Clethra sumbawaensis'' - Lesser Sunda Islands * '' Clethra symingtonii'' - Perak * '' Clethra talamancana'' - Costa Rica * '' Clethra tomentella'' - Philippines * '' Clethra tutensis'' - Panama * '' Clethra tuxtlensis'' -

* '' Clethra uleana'' - S Brazil * '' Clethra vicentina'' - S Mexico, Central America

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q159328 Ericales genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus