''Labourdonnaisia'' is a genus of plants in the family

Sapotaceae 240px, '' Madhuca longifolia'' var. ''latifolia'' in Narsapur, Medak district, India The Sapotaceae are a family of flowering plants belonging to the order (biology)">order Ericales">family (biology)">family of flowering plants belonging to th ...

, which was described as a genus in 1841. It is native to the islands of

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...

, and

Réunion Réunion (; ; ; known as before 1848) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France. Part of the Mascarene Islands, it is located approximately east of the isl ...

in the western

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> The genus is named for

Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais Bertrand-François Mahé, comte de La Bourdonnais (11 February 169910 November 1753) was a French Navy navy officer, officer and colonial administrator who was employed by the Louis XIV's East India Company, French East India Company. Biography ...

(1699 – 1753), French governor of

1735–1740.Bojer, Wenceslas. 1837. Hortus Mauritianus :ou enumeration des plantes, exotiques et indigenes, qui croissent a l'Ile Maurice, disposees d'apres la methode naturelle 199
/ref> The ''Labourdonnaisia'' tree species can also sometimes be confused with the Mascarene trees of the genus ''

Sideroxylon ''Sideroxylon'' is a genus of trees in the family (biology), family Sapotaceae described as a genus by Carl Linnaeus, Linnaeus in 1753. They are collectively known as bully trees. The generic name is derived from the Greek language, Greek words ...

''. However the ''Labourdonnaisia'' species have parallel venation on their leaves, while the ''Sideroxylon'' species have densely netted leaf-venation and strong midribs under their leaves.

species

18 species are accepted. # '' Labourdonnaisia ambrensis'' – central and eastern Madagascar # '' Labourdonnaisia calophylloides'' Bojer –

and

# '' Labourdonnaisia glauca'' Bojer –

# '' Labourdonnaisia glutinosa'' – eastern Madagascar # '' Labourdonnaisia hexandra'' – eastern Madagascar # '' Labourdonnaisia laciniata'' – eastern Madagascar # '' Labourdonnaisia lecomtei'' Aubrév. –

# '' Labourdonnaisia longepedicellata'' – eastern Madagascar # '' Labourdonnaisia madagascariensis'' Pierre ex Baill. –

# '' Labourdonnaisia manongarivensis'' – eastern Madagascar # '' Labourdonnaisia parvifolia'' – eastern Madagascar # '' Labourdonnaisia revoluta'' Bojer –

# '' Labourdonnaisia richardiana'' Pierre ex Aubrév. –

# '' Labourdonnaisia sambiranensis'' – northern and northeastern Madagascar # '' Labourdonnaisia tampoloensis'' – eastern Madagascar # '' Labourdonnaisia thouarsii'' Pierre ex Dubard – Madagascar # '' Labourdonnaisia thouvenotii'' – central and eastern Madagascar # '' Labourdonnaisia urschii'' – eastern Madagascar

References

* Sapotoideae Sapotaceae genera Flora of the Western Indian Ocean Taxa described in 1841 Taxa named by Wenceslas Bojer {{Sapotaceae-stub