''Combretum'', the bushwillows or combretums, make up the type genus of the family Combretaceae. The

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 ...

comprises about 272

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of 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 the appropriat ...

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 and

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from tree ...

s, most of which are native to

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 ...

and southern

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 ...

, about 5 to

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 Afric ...

, but there are others that are native to tropical

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

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 Torres ...

and the

Bismarck Archipelago The Bismarck Archipelago (, ) is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. Its area is about 50,000 square km. History The first inhabitants o ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

, and tropical

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. Though somewhat reminiscent of

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist so ...

s (''Salix'') in their habitus, they are not particularly close relatives of these.

Ecology

Bushwillow trees often are important plants in their

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...

s in Africa, in particular those growing on granitic soils, are often dominated by ''Combretum'' and its close relative '' Terminalia''. For example, ''C. apiculatum'' is a notable tree in the Angolan mopane woodlands ecoregion in the

Kunene River The Cunene (Portuguese spelling) or Kunene (common Namibian spelling) is a river in Southern Africa. It flows from the Angola highlands south to the border with Namibia. It then flows west along the border until it reaches the Atlantic Ocean. It ...

basin in southern Africa. Other species of this genus are a major component of Southwestern Amazonian moist forests. This genus contains several species that are pollinated by

mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur ...

s other than bats, which is quite rare indeed. But most species are more conventionally pollinated by

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pa ...

s or

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...

s. '' Typhlodromus combretum'', a

mite Mites are small arachnids (eight-legged arthropods). Mites span two large orders of arachnids, the Acariformes and the Parasitiformes, which were historically grouped together in the subclass Acari, but genetic analysis does not show clear e ...

of the family

Phytoseiidae The Phytoseiidae are a family of mites which feed on thrips and other mite species. They are often used as a biological control agent for managing mite pests. Because of their usefulness as biological control agents, interest in Phytoseiidae has ...

, was discovered on a bushwillow plant and is named after this genus. Other

herbivore A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthpar ...

s that eat ''Combretum'' foliage include the

caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sy ...

s of the Brown Awl (''Badamia exclamationis'') which is found on '' C. albidum, C. latifolium'' and '' C. ovalifolium''; those of the Orange-tailed Awl (''Bibasis sena'') are recorded from '' C. extensum'' and ''C. latifolium''.

Use by humans

Several species are used in African or

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

herbal medicine Herbal medicine (also herbalism) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. With worldwide research into pharmacology, some herbal medicines have been translated into modern remedie ...

. The class of chemical compounds known as combretastatins were first isolated from

South African Bushwillow ''Combretum caffrum'' is the Eastern Cape South African bushwillow tree. Biochemistry In ''C. caffrum'', combretastatins A-1, A-4 and B-1 can be found.derivative In mathematics, the derivative of a function of a real variable measures the sensitivity to change of the function value (output value) with respect to a change in its argument (input value). Derivatives are a fundamental tool of calculus. ...

, fosbretabulin disodium (combretastatin A4 phosphate), underwent preliminary study for the treatment of anaplastic thyroid cancer, but it was not effective enough to progress to more advanced trials. '' C. molle'' is also recorded to contain

antioxidant Antioxidants are compounds that inhibit oxidation, a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals. This can lead to polymerization and other chain reactions. They are frequently added to industrial products, such as fuels and lubrica ...

s such as punicalagin, which is also found in pomegranates (''Punica granatum''), a somewhat related plant. The

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

George Don George Don (29 April 1798 – 25 February 1856) was a Scottish botanist and plant collector. Life and career George Don was born at Doo Hillock, Forfar, Angus, Scotland on 29 April 1798 to Caroline Clementina Stuart and George Don (b.1756), ...

studied this genus extensively. The

Luvuvhu River The Levubu River or Levuvhu ( ts, Rivubye; ve, Luvuvhu) is located in the northern Limpopo province of South Africa. Some of its tributaries, such as the Mutshindudi River and Mutale River rise in the Soutpansberg Mountains. The Luvuvhu River ...

in southern Africa was named after the river's bushwillows ('' C. erythrophyllum''), locally known as ''muvuvhu''.

Species

As of April 2021, there are 272 accepted species of ''Combretum'': *'' Combretum aculeatum'' *'' Combretum acuminatum'' *'' Combretum acutifolium'' *'' Combretum acutum'' *'' Combretum adenogonium'' *'' Combretum adrianii'' *'' Combretum afzelii'' *'' Combretum alatum'' *'' Combretum albiflorum'' *'' Combretum albopunctatum'' *'' Combretum alfredi'' *'' Combretum andongense'' *'' Combretum andradae'' *'' Combretum angolense'' *'' Combretum angustipetalum'' *'' Combretum annulatum'' *'' Combretum apetalum'' *'' Combretum aphanopetalum'' *''

Combretum apiculatum ''Combretum apiculatum'' is a species of tree in the family Combretaceae known by the common name red bushwillow. It is native to the mesic to semi-arid savanna regions of Africa, southwards of the equator. Description This is a semi-deciduous ...

'' *'' Combretum argenteum'' *'' Combretum argyrotrichum'' *'' Combretum assimile'' *'' Combretum atropurpureum'' *'' Combretum aureonitens'' *'' Combretum auriculatum'' *'' Combretum barbatum'' *'' Combretum batesii'' *'' Combretum bauchiense'' *'' Combretum baumii'' *'' Combretum bipindense'' *'' Combretum blepharopetalum'' *'' Combretum boinensis'' *'' Combretum bracteatum'' *'' Combretum bracteosum'' *'' Combretum brassiciforme'' *'' Combretum brevistylum'' *'' Combretum brunneum'' *'' Combretum butyrosum'' *'' Combretum cacoucia'' *''

Combretum imberbe ''Combretum imberbe'' (leadwood, af, hardekool, st, mohwelere-tšhipi, ts, motswiri/mondzo, zu, impondondlovu) is a characteristic and often impressive bushwillow species of the southern Afrotropics. The medium to large tree has a sparse, se ...

'' *''

Combretum indicum ''Combretum indicum'', also known as the Rangoon creeper, is a vine with red flower clusters which is native to tropical Asia. Description The Rangoon creeper is a ligneous vine that can reach from 2.5 meters to up to 8 meters. The leaves are e ...

'' *'' Combretum inflatum'' *'' Combretum ivanii'' *'' Combretum kasaiense'' *'' Combretum kirkii'' *'' Combretum klossii'' *'' Combretum klotzschii'' *'' Combretum kostermansii'' *''

Combretum kraussii ''Combretum kraussii'', the forest bushwillow, is a medium-sized to large tree of eastern South Africa, Eswatini and southern Mozambique, which is found within, or in the vicinity of forests. The specific name commemorates Dr. F. Krauss who unde ...

'' *'' Combretum lanceolatum'' *'' Combretum lanuginosum'' *'' Combretum latialatum'' *'' Combretum latifolium'' *'' Combretum laxum'' *'' Combretum lecardii'' *'' Combretum leprosum'' *'' Combretum lindense'' *'' Combretum lisowskii'' *'' Combretum littoreum'' *'' Combretum llewelynii'' *'' Combretum lokele'' *'' Combretum longicollum'' *'' Combretum longipilosum'' *'' Combretum longispicatum'' *'' Combretum longistipitatum'' *'' Combretum louisii'' *'' Combretum lukafuensis'' *'' Combretum luxenii'' *'' Combretum macrocalyx'' *'' Combretum malabaricum'' *'' Combretum mannii'' *'' Combretum marginatum'' *'' Combretum marquesii'' *'' Combretum mellifluum'' *'' Combretum meridionalis'' *'' Combretum micranthum'' *'' Combretum microphyllum'' *'' Combretum mkuzense'' *'' Combretum moggii'' *''

Combretum molle ''Combretum molle'', the velvet bushwillow, is a medium to large tree species in the genus ''Combretum'' found in western, eastern and southern Africa. The larvae of ''Parosmodes morantii'' and '' Acalyptris molleivora'' feed on ''C. molle''. I ...

'' *'' Combretum monetaria'' *'' Combretum mooreanum'' *'' Combretum mortehanii'' *'' Combretum mossambicense'' *'' Combretum mucronatum'' *'' Combretum multinervium'' *'' Combretum mussaendiflorum'' *'' Combretum mweroense'' *'' Combretum nanum'' *'' Combretum ndjoleense'' *'' Combretum nigrescens'' *'' Combretum nigricans'' *'' Combretum nioroense'' *'' Combretum niphophilum'' *'' Combretum nusbaumeri'' *'' Combretum oatesii'' *'' Combretum obovatum'' *'' Combretum obscurum'' *'' Combretum octagonum'' *'' Combretum olivaceum'' *'' Combretum oudenhovenii'' *''

Combretum ovalifolium ''Combretum'', the bushwillows or combretums, make up the type genus of the family Combretaceae. The genus comprises about 272 species of trees and shrubs, most of which are native to tropical and southern Africa, about 5 to Madagascar, but ...

'' *'' Combretum oxygonium'' *'' Combretum oxystachyum'' *'' Combretum oyemense'' *'' Combretum padoides'' *'' Combretum paniculatum'' *'' Combretum paradoxum'' *'' Combretum paraguariense'' *'' Combretum patelliforme'' *'' Combretum paucinervium'' *'' Combretum pavonii'' *'' Combretum pecoense'' *'' Combretum pellegrinianum'' *'' Combretum pentagonum'' *'' Combretum petrophilum'' *'' Combretum phaeocarpum'' *'' Combretum pilosum'' *'' Combretum pisoniiflorum'' *'' Combretum pisonioides'' *'' Combretum platypterum'' *'' Combretum polyanthum'' *'' Combretum polystictum'' *'' Combretum procursum'' *'' Combretum psidioides'' *'' Combretum punctatum'' *'' Combretum purpureiflorum'' *'' Combretum pyramidatum'' *'' Combretum pyrifolium'' *'' Combretum quadrangulare'' *'' Combretum quadratum'' *'' Combretum rabiense'' *'' Combretum racemosum'' *'' Combretum razianum'' *'' Combretum recurvatum'' *'' Combretum relictum'' *'' Combretum rhodanthum'' *'' Combretum riggenbachianum'' *'' Combretum robustum'' *'' Combretum robynsii'' *'' Combretum rochetianum'' *'' Combretum rohrii'' *'' Combretum rotundifolium'' *'' Combretum rovirosae'' *'' Combretum roxburghii'' *'' Combretum rupestre'' *'' Combretum rupicola'' *'' Combretum sanjappae'' *'' Combretum scandens'' *'' Combretum schumannii'' *'' Combretum sericeum'' *'' Combretum shivannae'' *'' Combretum sordidum'' *'' Combretum sphaeroides'' *'' Combretum spinosum'' *'' Combretum stenopterum'' *'' Combretum stocksii'' *'' Combretum struempellianum'' *'' Combretum stylesii'' *'' Combretum subglabratum'' *'' Combretum subumbellatum'' *'' Combretum sundaicum'' *'' Combretum sylvicola'' *'' Combretum tarquense'' *'' Combretum tenuipetiolatum'' *'' Combretum tessmannii'' *'' Combretum tetragonocarpum'' *'' Combretum tetralophoides'' *'' Combretum tetralophum'' *'' Combretum teuschii'' *'' Combretum tibatiense'' *'' Combretum tomentosum'' *'' Combretum towaense'' *'' Combretum trichophyllum'' *'' Combretum trifoliatum'' *'' Combretum ulei'' *'' Combretum umbricola'' *'' Combretum vendae'' *'' Combretum vernicosum'' *'' Combretum villosum'' *'' Combretum violaceum'' *'' Combretum virgatum'' *'' Combretum viscosum'' *'' Combretum wallichii'' *'' Combretum wattii'' *'' Combretum wilksii'' *'' Combretum winitii'' *'' Combretum xanthothyrsum'' *'' Combretum youngii'' *'' Combretum zenkeri'' *'' Combretum zeyheri''

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1777188 Medicinal plants Myrtales genera