| Poikilospermum | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Poikilospermum suaveolens | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Urticaceae |
| Tribe: | Urticeae |
| Genus: | Poikilospermum Zipp. ex Miq. |
| Species | |
Between 4 & 41, see text | |
Poikilospermum is agenus of shrubs or tall woody climbers, consisting of at least 33 accepted species. The plants are found fromIndia andChina (Yunnan), the Sino-Himalayan region toSulawesi andJawa in Indonesia. Some of the plants are used by people.
Common names in the genus include theChinese锥头麻属 (zhui tou ma shu) and陈家瑞 (chen jiarui orchen chia-jui),[1] and theKhmerkrâpë rô.[2]
The classification of the genus was dynamic and the in past was linked to the status of the familyCecropiaceae. At present, consensus places it in the familyUrticaceae.[3][4][5] One recent phylogenetic study placed it in aclade withUrtica, though two slightly older studies placed it as a sister clade to the Cecropieae (the former Cecropiaceaes. str.) and Urticaeae (Urticaceaes. antiq.).[5] Older, nonphylogenetic, work placed the genus in Cecropiaceae, a family regarded as intermediate between Urticeae andMoraceae[1]
Alexander Zippelius (1797-1828) is given authorship of the genus, publishing inAnnales Musei Botanici Lugduno-Batavi (Amsterdam), 1: 203, in 1864. His work superseded that ofFriedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel (1811-1871). In 1978, Berg placed it in Cecropiaceae. Most recent work has been by Datwyler & Weiblen (2004), Zerega et al. (2005), and Hadiah et al. (2008) place the genus in Urticaceae.
Members ofPoikilospermum are shrubs or tall woody climbers (also known as lianas).[1] The petiolate leaves are alternate; theirstipules are often caducous, intrapetiolar, connate, and leathery; theirveins are often prominently pinnate;cystoliths occur adaxially in circular groups, abaxially along veins, either punctiform or linear. Theinflorescences are solitary and axillary dichotomously branched cymes, they are unisexual (the plants aredioecious). Theglomerules are capitate and either on swollen peduncular receptacles (inP. subgen.Ligulistigma, continental Asia group), in agglomerations, or are free (inP. subgen.Poikilospermum, E Malaysia group). The male flowers are with 2-4perianth lobes, free or slightly connate; there are two to fourstamens, the filaments are straight (inP. subgen.Ligulistigma) or inflexed; a rudimentaryovary is present. The female flowers have four perianth lobes, and are clavate-tubular and decussate-imbricate. The ovary in this genus is enclosed, with a shortstyle, a capitate or ligulate (inP. subgen.Ligulistigma)stigma; theovule is orthotropous. The seeds have little or noendosperm. Thecotyledons are ovate.
Plants of the genus occur naturally from India across to Southeast Asia, China and Indonesia.[3][1] Countries and regions in which plants of the genus grow include: Indonesia (Maluku, Sulawesi,Kalimantan, Jawa,Sumatera); Philippines; Malaysia (Sabah,Sarawak,Peninsular Malaysia); Thailand; Cambodia; Vietnam;Zhōngguó/China (South-central);Laos; Myanmar; India (includingNicobar Islands,Andaman Islands,Assam); Bangladesh; Tibet; East Himalaya. The genus has also beenintroduced to Jamaica. In China there are 3 species. Species often have high moisture requirement, occurring in Monsoon forests and rain forests, often near streams or other we places, at altitudes ranging from 500m to 1800m. In CambodiaP. suaveolens grows in the undergrowth of dense forests.[2]
One species is used to produce ties (as in to tie things together).[2]
These species are accepted, as of February 2021:
