''Cheilotheca'' is a small

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of myco-heterotrophic plants in the family

Ericaceae The Ericaceae () are a Family (biology), family of flowering plants, commonly known as the heath or heather family, found most commonly in acidic and infertile growing conditions. The family is large, with about 4,250 known species spread acros ...

. They obtain their nutrients by parasitising fungi in the

Russulaceae The Russulaceae are a diverse family (biology), family of fungi in the order Russulales, with roughly 1,900 known species and a worldwide distribution. They comprise the Russula, brittlegills and the milk-caps, well-known mushroom-forming fungi ...

family. As of 2025, the genus includes four species.

Etymology

The genus was named by

Joseph Dalton Hooker Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker (30 June 1817 – 10 December 1911) was a British botanist and explorer in the 19th century. He was a founder of geographical botany and Charles Darwin's closest friend. For 20 years he served as director of the Ro ...

in 1876.Bentham, G., Hooker, J.D. (1876) Genera Plantarum Vol. 2. Reeve & Co., London. The name is derived from the Greek word "cheilos", meaning a lip or an edge. The "

theca In biology, a theca (: thecae) is a sheath or a covering. Botany In botany, the theca is related to plant's flower anatomy. The theca of an angiosperm consists of a pair of microsporangia that are adjacent to each other and share a common ar ...

" is a Latin term, meaning covering or sheath. Together they essentially mean "lipped sheath".

Taxonomy

Based on morphological analyses, ''Cheilotheca'' has been placed in the

subfamily Monotropoideae.Kron, K.A., Judd, W.S., Stevens, P.F., Crayn, D.M., Anderberg, A.A., Gadek, P.A., Quinn, C.J., Luteyn, J.L. 2002. Phylogenetic classification of Ericaceae: molecular and morphological evidence. ''Botanical Review'' 68: 335-423. The exact placement of ''Cheilotheca'' within the Monotropoideae is still unknown, but morphologically the genus most closely resembles ''

Monotropa ''Monotropa'' is a genus of four species of herbaceous perennial flowering plants. The genus was formerly classified in the family Monotropaceae and presently classified in Ericaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisp ...

'' and ''

Monotropastrum ''Monotropastrum'' is a small genus of myco-heterotrophic plants in the family Ericaceae. As currently circumscribed the group includes two species. Distribution The genus is found locally throughout much of southern and eastern Asia (Bhutan, C ...

''.

List of species

*'' Cheilotheca crocea'' L.Wu & Yan Liu *'' Cheilotheca khasiana'' Hook.f. *'' Cheilotheca malayana'' Scort. ex Hook.f. *''

Cheilotheca sleumerana ''Cheilotheca'' is a small genus of myco-heterotrophy, myco-heterotrophic plants in the family Ericaceae. They obtain their nutrients by parasitising fungi in the Russulaceae family. As of 2025, the genus includes four species. Etymology The gen ...

'' H.Keng '' Cheilotheca macrocarpa'' is sometimes included in this genus as well; it is synonymous with '' Monotropastrum humile''.

Etymology

Taxonomy

List of species

References

External links