''Ehretia'' is a genus of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s in the

borage Borage ( or ; ''Borago officinalis''), also known as starflower, is an annual herb in the flowering plant family Boraginaceae native to the Mediterranean region. Although the plant contains small amounts of pyrrolizidine alkaloids, some parts ar ...

family,

Boraginaceae Boraginaceae, the Borago, borage or forget-me-not family, includes about 2,000 species of shrubs, trees, and herbs in 146 to 154 genus, genera with a worldwide distribution. The APG IV system from 2016 classifies the Boraginaceae as single famil ...

. It contains 66 species native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia,

Papuasia Papuasia is a Level 2 botanical region defined in the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions (WGSRPD). It lies in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, in the Melanesia ecoregion of Oceania and Tropical Asia. It comprises th ...

, and Australia. The generic name honors

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

botanical illustrator

Georg Dionysius Ehret Georg Dionysius Ehret (30 January 1708 – 9 September 1770) was a German botanist and entomologist known for his botanical illustrations. Life Ehret was born in Germany to Ferdinand Christian Ehret, a gardener and competent draughtsman, a ...

(1708–1770).

Species

Accepted species and other notable taxa *''

Ehretia acuminata ''Ehretia acuminata'' is a deciduous tree found in Japan, China, Bhutan, Nepal, Laos, Vietnam, New Guinea and Australia. Fossil evidence suggests an ancient Laurasian origin. This group of plants spread to Australia and South America via Af ...

'' – Koda (

East Asia East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of Economy of China, China, Economy of Ja ...

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the List of islands by area, world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is ...

, eastern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

) *''

Ehretia alba ''Ehretia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family, Boraginaceae. It contains 66 species native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Papuasia, and Australia. The generic name honors German botanica ...

'' *''

Ehretia amoena ''Ehretia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family, Boraginaceae. It contains 66 species native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Papuasia, and Australia. The generic name honors German botanica ...

'' *''

Ehretia anacua ''Ehretia anacua'' is medium-sized tree found in eastern Mexico and southern Texas in the United States. It is a member of the borage family, Boraginaceae. One of its common names, anacua, is derived from the Mexican Spanish word ''anacahuite'', ...

'' – Anacua (

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

) *''

Ehretia angolensis ''Ehretia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family, Boraginaceae. It contains 66 species native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Papuasia, and Australia. The generic name honors German botanica ...

'' *''

Ehretia aspera ''Ehretia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family, Boraginaceae. It contains 66 species native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Papuasia, and Australia. The generic name honors German botanica ...

'' (synonym ''Ehretia laevis'' Roxb.) *''

Ehretia asperula ''Ehretia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family, Boraginaceae. It contains 66 species native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Papuasia, and Australia. The generic name honors German botanica ...

'' *''

Ehretia australis ''Ehretia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family, Boraginaceae. It contains 66 species native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Papuasia, and Australia. The generic name honors German botanica ...

'' *'' Ehretia bakeri'' *'' Ehretia changjiangensis'' *'' Ehretia coerulea'' *'' Ehretia confinis'' *'' Ehretia cortesia'' *'' Ehretia corylifolia'' *''

Ehretia crebrifolia ''Ehretia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family, Boraginaceae. It contains 66 species native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Papuasia, and Australia. The generic name honors German botanica ...

'' *'' Ehretia cymosa'' *'' Ehretia decaryi'' *'' Ehretia densiflora'' *'' Ehretia dichotoma'' *'' Ehretia dicksonii'' *'' Ehretia dolichandra'' *'' Ehretia dunniana'' *†'' Ehretia europaea'' E.M. Reid *'' Ehretia glandulosissima'' *'' Ehretia grahamii'' *'' Ehretia hainanensis'' *'' Ehretia janjalle'' *'' Ehretia javanica'' *'' Ehretia kaessneri'' *'' Ehretia keyensis'' *'' Ehretia latifolia'' *'' Ehretia lengshuikengensis'' *'' Ehretia longiflora'' *'' Ehretia macrophylla'' *'' Ehretia matthewii'' *'' Ehretia meyersii'' *'' Ehretia microcalyx'' *'' Ehretia microphylla'' *'' Ehretia mollis'' *'' Ehretia moluccana'' *'' Ehretia namibiensis'' *'' Ehretia obtusifolia'' *'' Ehretia papuana'' *'' Ehretia parallela'' *'' Ehretia philippinensis'' *'' Ehretia phillipsonii'' *'' Ehretia pingbianensis'' *''

Ehretia pranomiana ''Ehretia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family, Boraginaceae. It contains 66 species native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Papuasia, and Australia. The generic name honors German botanica ...

'' *'' Ehretia psilosiphon'' *'' Ehretia resinosa'' *'' Ehretia retusa'' *''

Ehretia rigida ''Ehretia rigida'' (puzzle bush, also ''deurmekaarbos'' in Afrikaans = "confused/tangled bush"), is a small, multi-stemmed tree with a tangled growth habit belonging to the Boraginaceae, the borage family. It occurs over a wide range of habitat t ...

'' – Deurmekaarbos (Southeastern

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

) *'' Ehretia rosea'' *'' Ehretia saligna'' *'' Ehretia seyrigii'' *'' Ehretia siamensis'' *'' Ehretia silvana'' *''

Ehretia takaminei ''Ehretia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family, Boraginaceae. It contains 66 species native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Papuasia, and Australia. The generic name honors German botanica ...

'' *'' Ehretia timorensis'' *''

Ehretia tinifolia ''Ehretia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the borage family, Boraginaceae. It contains 66 species native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Papuasia, and Australia. The generic name honors German botanica ...

'' *'' Ehretia trachyphylla'' *'' Ehretia tsangii'' *'' Ehretia urceolata'' *'' Ehretia wallichiana'' *'' Ehretia wightiana'' *'' Ehretia winitii''

Fossil record

†''Ehretia europaea''

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 preserve ...

seeds of the

Chattian The Chattian is, in the geologic timescale, the younger of two ages or upper of two stages of the Oligocene Epoch/Series. It spans the time between . The Chattian is preceded by the Rupelian and is followed by the Aquitanian (the lowest stage ...

stage,

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch (geology), epoch of the Paleogene Geologic time scale, Period that extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that defin ...

, are known from the

Oberleichtersbach Oberleichtersbach is a municipality in the district of Bad Kissingen in Bavaria in Germany. Divisions of the municipality The municipality includes the following towns: *Oberleichtersbach *Unterleichtersbach *Modlos *Breitenbach *Mitgenfeld Hist ...

Formation in the

Rhön Mountains The Rhön Mountains () are a group of low mountains (or ''Mittelgebirge'') in central Germany, located around the border area where the states of Hesse, Bavaria and Thuringia come together. These mountains, which are at the extreme southeast end o ...

, central

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Endocarp Fruits are the mature ovary or ovaries of one or more flowers. They are found in three main anatomical categories: aggregate fruits, multiple fruits, and simple fruits. Fruitlike structures may develop directly from the seed itself rather th ...

fossils have been described from the Late

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

locality of Pont-de-Gail in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and from the southern border of the

Po Plain The Po Valley, Po Plain, Plain of the Po, or Padan Plain (, , or ) is a major geographical feature of northern Italy. It extends approximately in an east-west direction, with an area of including its Venetic extension not actually related t ...

in northern

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

in two sites dated to the

Zanclean The Zanclean is the lowest stage or earliest age on the geologic time scale of the Pliocene. It spans the time between 5.332 ± 0.005 Ma (million years ago) and 3.6 ± 0.005 Ma. It is preceded by the Messinian Age of the Miocene Epoch, and f ...

and in three sites of supposed

agePliocene and Early Pleistocene carpological records of terrestrial plants from the southern border of the Po Plain (northern Italy) by Edoardo Martinetto, Giovanni Monegato, Andrea Irace and Elena Vassio - Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 218(1) November 2014 by DOI: 10.1016/j.revpalbo.2014.10.007

Species

Fossil record

Taxonomy references

References

External links