''Grewia'' is a large

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 ...

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 ...

in the mallow

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Malvaceae Malvaceae (), or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include Theobroma cacao, cacao, Cola (plant), cola, cotton, okra, Hibiscus sabdariffa, ...

, in the expanded sense as proposed by the

Angiosperm Phylogeny Group The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG) is an informal international group of systematic botanists who collaborate to establish a consensus on the taxonomy of flowering plants (angiosperms) that reflects new knowledge about plant relationships disc ...

. Formerly, ''Grewia'' was placed in either the family

Tiliaceae Tiliaceae () is a family of flowering plants. It is not a part of the APG, APG II and APG III classifications, being sunk in Malvaceae mostly as the subfamilies Tilioideae, Brownlowioideae and Grewioideae, but has an extensive historical re ...

or the

Sparrmanniaceae Sparrmanniaceae is a segregate, probably obsolete, plant family, containing plants which have more commonly been classified in Malvaceae or Tiliaceae. In the most recent proposed circumscription, that of Cheek ex Heywood et al., it corresponds to ...

. However, these were both not

monophyletic In biological cladistics for the classification of organisms, monophyly is the condition of a taxonomic grouping being a clade – that is, a grouping of organisms which meets these criteria: # the grouping contains its own most recent co ...

with respect to other

Malvales The Malvales are an Order (biology), order of flowering plants. As circumscribed by Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, APG II-system, the order includes about 6000 species within nine Family (biology), families. The order is placed in the eurosids II, w ...

- as already indicated by the uncertainties surrounding placement of ''Grewia'' and similar genera - and have thus been merged into the

. Together with the bulk of the former

, ''Grewia'' is in the

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...

Grewioideae Grewioideae is a subfamily of the family Malvaceae and was first described by Hochreutiner. The group is named after its type genus, ''Grewia'', which is named for the English scientist Nehemiah Grew (1641–1712). It contains a number of gener ...

and therein the

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...

Grewieae, of which it is the

type genus In biological taxonomy, the type genus (''genus typica'') is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name. Zoological nomenclature According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "The name-bearin ...

. The genus was named by

Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...

, in honor of the botanist

Nehemiah Grew Nehemiah Grew (26 September 164125 March 1712) was an English plant anatomist and physiologist, known as the "Father of Plant Anatomy". Biography Grew was the only son of Obadiah Grew (1607–1688), Nonconformist divine and vicar of St Mi ...

(1641-1712) from England. Grew was one of the leading plant

anatomist Anatomy () is the branch of morphology concerned with the study of the internal structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old scien ...

s and

microscope A microscope () is a laboratory equipment, laboratory instrument used to examine objects that are too small to be seen by the naked eye. Microscopy is the science of investigating small objects and structures using a microscope. Microscopic ...

researchers of his time, and his study of

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by most types of flowers of seed plants for the purpose of sexual reproduction. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced Gametophyte#Heterospory, microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm ...

laid the groundwork for modern-day

palynology Palynology is the study of microorganisms and microscopic fragments of mega-organisms that are composed of acid-resistant organic material and occur in sediments, sedimentary rocks, and even some metasedimentary rocks. Palynomorphs are the mic ...

Ecology and uses

Several

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

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 ...

s are found to feed on ''Grewia'' species. These include the

common nawab ''Polyura athamas'', the common nawab, is a species of fast-flying canopy butterfly found in tropical Asia. It belongs to the Charaxinae (rajahs and nawabs) in the brush-footed butterfly family (Nymphalidae). It occurs in the Himalayas from K ...

(''Polyura athamas'') and the

swift moth The Hepialidae are a Scientific classification, family of insects in the lepidopteran Scientific classification, order. Moths of this family are often referred to as swift moths or ghost moths. Taxonomy and systematics The Hepialidae constitute ...

Endoclita malabaricus ''Endoclita malabaricus'' is a species of moth of the family Hepialidae. It is known from the Western Ghats of India. At rest it looks like a dry leaf. The species overlaps in range with '' Endoclita magnus''. Adult moths are active particularly ...

''. The

Bucculatricidae Bucculatricidae or (Bucculatrigidae) is a family of moths. This small family has representatives in all parts of the world. Some authors place the group as a subfamily of the family Lyonetiidae. Adults of this family are easily overlooked, bei ...

leaf miner A leaf miner is any one of numerous species of insects in which the larval stage lives in, and eats, the leaf tissue of plants. The vast majority of leaf-mining insects are moths (Lepidoptera), sawflies (Symphyta, a paraphyletic group which ...

Bucculatrix epibathra ''Bucculatrix epibathra'' is a moth in the family Bucculatricidae. It is found in India. It was first described in 1934 by Edward Meyrick Edward Meyrick (25 November 1854 – 31 March 1938) was an English schoolmaster and amateur entomologis ...

'' is apparently only found on '' G. tiliaefolia''. The

parasitic wasp Parasitoid wasps are a large group of hymenopteran superfamilies, with all but the wood wasps ( Orussoidea) being in the wasp-waisted Apocrita. As parasitoids, they lay their eggs on or in the bodies of other arthropods, sooner or later causi ...

'' Aprostocetus psyllidis'' of the

Eulophidae The Eulophidae is a large family of hymenopteran insects, with over 4,300 described species in some 300 genera. The family includes the genus '' Elasmus'', which used to be treated as a separate family, "Elasmidae", and is now treated as a subfa ...

occurs on and around

phalsa ''Grewia asiatica'', commonly known as phalsa or falsa,Flora of Indi''Grewia asiatica''/ref> is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family Malvaceae. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk''Grewia asiatica''/ref> ''Grewia celtidifolia'' was ini ...

(''G. asiatica''). Its larvae are

parasitoid In evolutionary ecology, a parasitoid is an organism that lives in close association with its host (biology), host at the host's expense, eventually resulting in the death of the host. Parasitoidism is one of six major evolutionarily stable str ...

s of other insects - possibly pests of the plant, but this is not known for sure. Several species, namely phalsa, are known for their edible fruit, which are of local commercial importance. The

astringent An astringent (sometimes called adstringent) is a chemical that shrinks or constricts body tissues. The word derives from the Latin '' adstringere'', which means "to bind fast". Astringency, the dry, puckering or numbing mouthfeel caused by t ...

and refreshing ''Grewia''

drupe In botany, a drupe (or stone fruit) is a type of fruit in which an outer fleshy part (exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh) surrounds a single shell (the ''pip'' (UK), ''pit'' (US), ''stone'', or ''pyrena'') of hardened endocarp with a seed ...

s are particularly popular in summertime.

Folk medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) refers to the knowledge, skills, and practices rooted in the cultural beliefs of various societies, especially Indigenous groups, used for maintaining health and treatin ...

makes use of some species, which are reputed to cure upset stomachs and some skin and intestinal infections, and seem to have mild

antibiotic An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting pathogenic bacteria, bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the therapy ...

properties. '' G. mollis'' is reputed to contain β-carboline

alkaloid Alkaloids are a broad class of natural product, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. Some synthetic compounds of similar structure may also be termed alkaloids. Alkaloids are produced by a large varie ...

s, though whether such compounds occur in other species too and whether they are produced in quantities to render the plants

psychoactive A psychoactive drug, psychopharmaceutical, mind-altering drug, consciousness-altering drug, psychoactive substance, or psychotropic substance is a chemical substance that alters psychological functioning by modulating central nervous system acti ...

has not been thoroughly studied. In

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

, the bark of the tree of ''Grewia polygama'' ( Burmese: တရော်) or ''Grewia eriocarpa'' ( Burmese: ပင်တရော်) is mixed with the soapy '' kinpun'' (''Senegalia rugata'') fruit and sometimes

lime Lime most commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Bo ...

to make the traditional shampoo '' tayaw kinpun'', which remains widely used by the Burmese people and commonly sold in the country's open-air markets, typically in plastic bags. Explorer

Ludwig Leichhardt Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt (; 23 October 1813 – ), known as Ludwig Leichhardt, was a German explorer and naturalist, most famous for his exploration of northern and central Australia.Ken Eastwood,'Cold case: Leichhardt's disappearanc ...

described preparing a refreshing drink from the seeds of native Australian species ''G. polygama''.

Selected species

* '' Grewia abutifolia'' (= ''G. sclerophylla'' Roxb. ex G. Don, ''Sterculia tiliacea'' Leveille) * '' Grewia afra''

Meisn. Carl Daniel Friedrich Meissner (1 November 1800 – 2 May 1874) was a Swiss botanist. Biography Born in Bern, Switzerland on 1 November 1800, he was christened Meisner but later changed the spelling of his name to Meissner. For most of his 40 ...

(= ''G. fruticetorum'' J.R.Drummond ex Baker f.) * ''

Grewia asiatica ''Grewia asiatica'', commonly known as phalsa or falsa,Flora of Indi''Grewia asiatica''/ref> is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family Malvaceae. Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk''Grewia asiatica''/ref> ''Grewia celtidifolia'' was ini ...

'' – phalsa, falsa * ''

Grewia avellana ''Grewia'' is a large flowering plant genus in the mallow family Malvaceae, in the expanded sense as proposed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. Formerly, ''Grewia'' was placed in either the family Tiliaceae or the Sparrmanniaceae. However, th ...

'' Hiern. (= ''G. calycina'' N.E.Br., ''G. hydrophila'' K.Schum., ''G. perennans'' K.Schum.) * ''

Grewia bicolor ''Grewia bicolor'', called bastard brandy bush, false brandy bush, two-coloured grewia, white-leaved grewia, white-leaved raisin, white raisin and donkey berry (a name it shares with ''Grewia flavescens''), is a species of flowering plant in the ...

'' Juss. (= ''G. disticha'' Dinter & Burret, ''G. grisea'', ''G. kwebensis'' N.E.Br., ''G. miniata'' Mast. ex Hiern., ''G. mossambicensis'') * '' Grewia biloba'' G.Don – Bilobed Grewia (= ''G. biloba'' var. ''glabrescens'' (Benth.) Rehder, ''G. glabrescens'' Benth., ''G. parviflora'' var. ''glabrescens'' (Benth.) Rehder & E.H.Wilson) ** ''Grewia biloba'' var. ''microphylla'' (Maxim) Hand.-Mazz. (= ''G. parviflora'' var. ''microphylla'' Maxim.) ** ''Grewia biloba'' var. ''parviflora'' (Bunge) Hand.-Mazz. (= ''G. chanetii'' H.Lév., ''G. parviflora'' Bunge, ''G. parviflora'' var. ''velutina'' Pampanini) * ''

Grewia bilocularis ''Grewia bilocularis'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae ''sensu lato'' or Tiliaceae or Sparrmanniaceae. It is endemic to the island of Socotra in Yemen. References

Grewia, bilocularis Endemic flora of Socotra Vulne ...

'' Balf.f. * ''

Grewia calymmatosepala ''Grewia'' is a large flowering plant genus in the mallow family Malvaceae, in the expanded sense as proposed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. Formerly, ''Grewia'' was placed in either the family Tiliaceae or the Sparrmanniaceae. However, th ...

'' K.Schum. * '' Grewia celtidifolia'' Juss. (= ''G. asiatica'' var. ''celtidifolia'' (Jussieu) L.F.Gagnepain, ''G. simaoensis'' Y.Y.Qian, ''G. yunnanensis'' H.T.Chang) * ''

Grewia ciclea ''Grewia'' is a large flowering plant genus in the mallow family Malvaceae, in the expanded sense as proposed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. Formerly, ''Grewia'' was placed in either the family Tiliaceae or the Sparrmanniaceae. However, th ...

'' ''andilambarika'' ( Malagasy) * ''

Grewia crenata ''Grewia'' is a large flowering plant genus in the mallow family Malvaceae, in the expanded sense as proposed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. Formerly, ''Grewia'' was placed in either the family Tiliaceae or the Sparrmanniaceae. However, th ...

'' (J.R.Forst.) Schinz & Guillaumin (= ''G. malococca, G. persicaefolia, G. prunifolia, Mallococca crenata'') – ''au‘ere'' (

Cook Islands The Cook Islands is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands whose total land area is approximately . The Cook Islands' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers of ocean. Avarua is its ...

), ''fau ui'' (

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabited ...

), ''fo ui'' (

Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. accordin ...

) * ''Grewia damine'' Gaertn. (= ''G. tiliifolia'' Vahl) * ''

Grewia eriocarpa ''Grewia'' is a large flowering plant genus in the mallow family Malvaceae, in the expanded sense as proposed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. Formerly, ''Grewia'' was placed in either the family Tiliaceae or the Sparrmanniaceae. However, th ...

'' Juss. (= ''G. boehmeriifolia'' Kanehira & Sasaki, ''G. elastica'' Royle, ''G. lantsangensis'' Hu) * ''

Grewia falcistipula ''Grewia'' is a large flowering plant genus in the mallow family (biology), family Malvaceae, in the expanded sense as proposed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. Formerly, ''Grewia'' was placed in either the family Tiliaceae or the Sparrmanni ...

'' K.Schum. * ''

Grewia flava ''Grewia flava'', the brandy bush, wild currant, velvet raisin, or raisin tree, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, native to southern Africa. A common shrub species, it is spreading into grasslands due to human rangeland man ...

'' DC. (= ''G. cana'' Sond., ''G. hermannioides'' Harv.) * ''

Grewia flavescens ''Grewia flavescens'', called rough-leaved raisin, sandpaper raisin, and donkey berry (a name it shares with '' Grewia bicolor''), is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, native to subSaharan Africa, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Indi ...

'' Juss. (= ''G. flavescens'' var. ''longipedunculata'' Burret) * ''

Grewia glabra ''Grewia'' is a large flowering plant genus in the mallow family Malvaceae, in the expanded sense as proposed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. Formerly, ''Grewia'' was placed in either the family Tiliaceae or the Sparrmanniaceae. However, t ...

'' Blume – sometimes included in ''G. multiflora'' * ''

Grewia glandulosa ''Grewia glandulosa'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae ''sensu lato'' or Tiliaceae or Sparrmanniaceae. It is found only in Seychelles. It is threatened by habitat loss. References glandulosa Glandulosa may refer to: * ...

'' Vahl (= ''G. salicifolia'' Schinz) * '' Grewia goetzeana'' K.Schum. * ''

Grewia hexamita ''Grewia hexamita'', the giant raisin, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, native to Mozambique and adjoining countries. It is a large tree for a ''Grewia'', reaching . It is the most preferred woody plant of African savanna ...

'' Burret (= ''G. messinica'' Burtt Davy & Greenway, ''G. schweickerdtii'' Burret) * '' Grewia hirsuta'' Vahl. * ''

Grewia hornbyi ''Grewia'' is a large flowering plant genus in the mallow family Malvaceae, in the expanded sense as proposed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. Formerly, ''Grewia'' was placed in either the family Tiliaceae or the Sparrmanniaceae. However, th ...

'' Wild * '' Grewia inaequilatera'' Garcke * ''

Grewia insularis ''Grewia insularis '' is a species of flowering plant in the Malvaceae, or mallow family, that is endemic to Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the north-eastern Indian Ocean. Its specific epithet is the Latin for insular, referring to ...

'' Ridl. (

Christmas Island Christmas Island, officially the Territory of Christmas Island, is an States and territories of Australia#External territories, Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean comprising the island of the same name. It is about south o ...

) * '' Grewia lasiocarpa'' E.Mey. ex Harv. * ''

Grewia latifolia ''Grewia latifolia'' is a small shrub that is endemic to Northern and Eastern Australia. Its fruits have a distinct similarity to dog testicles, giving rise to the common name of dogs balls. Other common names include emu berry and dysentery plan ...

'' F.Muell. ex Benth. * ''

Grewia limae ''Grewia limae'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae ''sensu lato'' or Tiliaceae or Sparrmanniaceae. It is found only in Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast ...

'' Wild * ''

Grewia microthyrsa ''Grewia'' is a large flowering plant genus in the mallow family Malvaceae, in the expanded sense as proposed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. Formerly, ''Grewia'' was placed in either the family Tiliaceae or the Sparrmanniaceae. However, th ...

'' K.Schum. ex Burret * ''Grewia mollis'' Juss. * ''Grewia monticola'' Sond. (= ''G. cordata'' N.E.Br., ''G. discolor'', N.E.Br.) * ''Grewia multiflora'' Juss. (= ''G. didyma'' Roxb. ex G.Don, ''G. disperma'' Rottler, ''G. guazumifolia'' Juss., ''G. jinghongensis'' Y.Y.Qian, ''G. oblongifolia'' Blume, ''G. serrulata'' DC.) * ''Grewia occidentalis'' L. – Crossberry * ''Grewia olukondae'' Schinz. (= ''G. flavescens'' var. ''olukondae'' (Schinz) Wild) * ''Grewia optiva'' J.R.Drumm. ex Burret (= ''G. oppositifolia'' Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don) * ''Grewia orientalis'' Carl Linnaeus * ''Grewia oxyphylla Burret, Grewia oxyphylla'' Burret * ''Grewia pachycalyx'' K.Schum. * ''Grewia picta'' (= ''G. aldabrensis'' Baker * ''Grewia retinervis'' Burret (= ''G. deserticola'' Ulbr.) * ''Grewia retusifolia'' Kurz * ''Grewia robusta'' Burch * ''Grewia rothii'' DC * ''Grewia savannicola'' ("Dogs balls")R.L.Barrett * ''Grewia schinzii'' K.Schum. (= ''G. velutinissima'' Dunkley) * ''Grewia similis'' K.Schum. * ''Grewia stolzii'' Ulbr. * ''Grewia sulcata'' Mast. * ''Grewis tembensis'' Fresen. * ''Grewia tenax'' (Forssk.) (= ''Chadara tenax'' Forssk., ''G. populifolia'' Vahl) * ''Grewia tiliifolia'' Vahl (= ''G. rotunda'' C.Y.Wu, ''G. tiliaefolia'' (''lapsus''), ''Tilia rotunda'' C.Y.Wu & H.T.Chang) * ''Grewia transzambesica'' Wild * ''Grewia turbinata'' Balf.f. * ''Grewia villosa'' Willd.

Formerly placed here

Some species once placed in ''Grewia'' (or genera synonymous with it) have since been moved elsewhere, particularly to ''Microcos'': * ''Alangium salviifolium'' (as ''G. salviifolia'' L.f.) * ''Dombeya boehmiana'' (as ''Vincentia boehmiana'' (F.Hoffm.) Burret)Hinsley (2008b) * ''Kleinhovia hospita'' (as ''G. meyeniana'') * ''Microcos chungii'' (as ''G. chungii'' Merr. * ''Microcos nervosa'' – possibly belongs in ''M. paniculata'' (as ''G. nervosa'' (Lour.) Panigrahi) * ''Microcos paniculata'' (as ''G. microcos'' L. and possibly ''G. nervosa'' (Lour.) Panigrahi) * ''Microcos triflora'' (as ''G. stylocarpa'' Warb. and ''G. stylocarpa'' var. ''longipetiolata'' Merr.) * ''Trichospermum mexicanum'' (as ''G. mexicana'' DC.)

Footnotes

References

* (2001)
Angiosperm Families Containing Beta-Carbolines
Version of 2001-OCT-04. Retrieved 2008-JUN-25. * (2007): ''Flowering Plant Families of the World''. Firefly Books, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. * (2008a)
Partial Synonymy of ''Grewia''
Retrieved 2008-JUN-25. * (2008b)
Partial Synonymy of ''Dombeya''
Retrieved 2008-JUN-25. * (2007a): Germplasm Resources Information Network
''Grewia''
Retrieved 2008-JUN-25. * (2007b)
USDA Plants Profile: ''Grewia''
Retrieved 2008-JUN-25. {{Taxonbar, from=Q80212 Grewia, Malvaceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus