Huffia is a subgenus of the

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 ...

Plasmodium ''Plasmodium'' is a genus of unicellular eukaryotes that are obligate parasites of vertebrates and insects. The life cycles of ''Plasmodium'' species involve development in a Hematophagy, blood-feeding insect host (biology), host which then inj ...

'' - all of which are parasites. The subgenus was created in 1963 by Corradetti ''et al.''.

Species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

in this subgenus infect

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

s with malaria. This subgenus is named in honour of the Dr. Clay G. Huff. __TOC__

Description

Species in the subgenus ''Huffia'' have the following characteristics: * Mature schizonts, while varying in shape and size, contain plentiful cytoplasm and are commonly found in immature erthryocytes. * Gametocytes are elongated. ''P. huffi'' had been considered 'lost' since it hadn't been observed since its discovery in the 1950s, however it was re-discovered in toucans in 2021.

References

Plasmodium subgenera Parasites of birds {{Plasmodium-stub