''Lasianthus'' 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 family

Rubiaceae Rubiaceae () is a family (biology), family of flowering plants, commonly known as the coffee, madder, or bedstraw family. It consists of terrestrial trees, shrubs, lianas, or herbs that are recognizable by simple, opposite leaves with Petiole ( ...

. They are tropical subshrubs, shrubs, or rarely, small trees. They inhabit the understory of

primary forest An old-growth forest or primary forest is a forest that has developed over a long period of time without Disturbance (ecology), disturbance. Due to this, old-growth forests exhibit unique ecological features. The Food and Agriculture Organizati ...

s. ''Lasianthus'' has about 300 species. The

type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe ...

for the genus is '' Lasianthus cyanocarpus''. In 2012, a revision of ''Lasianthus'' in

Malesia Malesia is a biogeographical region straddling the Equator and the boundaries of the Indomalayan and Australasian realms. It is a phytogeographical floristic region in the Paleotropical kingdom. It was first recognized as a distinct region ...

described 131 species. Another 30 or so species grow elsewhere in tropical Asia. Most of these are described in

Flora of China The flora of China consists of a diverse range of plant species including over 39,000 vascular plants, 27,000 species of fungi and 3000 species of bryophytes.Wu, Z. Y., P. H. Raven & D. Y. Hong, eds. 2006. Flora of China. Vol. 22 (Poaceae). Sci ...

Hua Zhu and Charlotte M. Taylor. 2011. ''Lasianthus'', pages 185-198. In: Wu Zhengyi, Peter H. Raven, and Hong Deyuan (editors). 1994 onward. ''Flora of China'', vol. 19: Cucurbitaceae - Valerianaceae, with Annonaceae and Berberidaceae. Science Press: Beijing, China; and Missouri Botanical Garden Press: St. Louis, MO, USA. (vol. 19) (set). (See ''External links'' below). or in '' A Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon''.Colin E. Ridsdale. 1998. Rubiaceae, pages 141-343. In: Meliyasena D. Dassanayake and William D. Clayton (editors). ''A Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon'', vol. 12. (vol.12) (See ''External links'' below). 14 or 15 species are native to the Western Ghats of southwestern India, including the endemic ''

Lasianthus agasthyamalayanus ''Lasianthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are tropical subshrubs, shrubs, or rarely, small trees. They inhabit the understory of primary forests. ''Lasianthus'' has about 300 species. The type species for the g ...

''.Jagadeesan Raveendran, Sam Paul Mathew, Gangaprasad Appukuttannair, and Ettickal Sukumaran Santhosh Kumar ''Lasianthus agasthyamalayanus'' (Rubiaceae), a New Species from the Southern Western Ghats, Kerala, India," Annales Botanici Fennici 55(1–3), 87-91, (1 May 2018). https://doi.org/10.5735/085.055.0110 Fifteen speciesDavid J. Mabberley. 2008. ''Mabberley's Plant-Book'' third edition (2008). Cambridge University Press: UK. or perhaps as many as 20 speciesBernard Verdcourt. 1976. ''Lasianthus''. pages 134-145. In: Rubiaceae (part 1). In: Roger M. Polhill (editor). ''Flora of Tropical East Africa''. Agents for Oversea (sic) Governments and Administration. London, U.K. (See ''External links'' below). are known from tropical Africa. Two species (''Lasianthus panamensis'' and ''Lasianthus lanceolatus''),Elmar Robbrecht. 1982. "The identity of the Panamanian genus ''Dressleriopsis'' (Rubiaceae)". ''Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden'' 69(2):427-429. or possibly three, are native to the

neotropics The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone. Definition In biogeog ...

. The Australian '' Ixora baileyana'' had at one time been placed in ''Lasianthus'' as ''Lasianthus graciliflorus''.Laurie G. Adams, Diane M. Bridson, and Elmar Robbrecht. 1987. "The Identity of ''Lasianthus graciliflorus'' Bailey (Rubiaceae)". ''Kew Bulletin'' 42(1):209-214. Dried specimens of ''Lasianthus'' often shed their flowers and fruit. For this reason, misidentification is common, even in herbaria.

Species

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. History Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...

accepts the following 292 species: {{Columns-list, colwidth=22em, *''

Lasianthus acuminatissimus ''Lasianthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are tropical subshrubs, shrubs, or rarely, small trees. They inhabit the understory of primary forests. ''Lasianthus'' has about 300 species. The type species for the g ...

'' {{small, Merr. *''

Lasianthus acuminatus ''Lasianthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are tropical subshrubs, shrubs, or rarely, small trees. They inhabit the understory of primary forests. ''Lasianthus'' has about 300 species. The type species for the g ...

'' {{small, Wight *''

Lasianthus acutatus ''Lasianthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are tropical subshrubs, shrubs, or rarely, small trees. They inhabit the understory of primary forests. ''Lasianthus'' has about 300 species. The type species for the g ...

'' {{small, Miq. *''

Lasianthus africanus ''Lasianthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are tropical subshrubs, shrubs, or rarely, small trees. They inhabit the understory of primary forests. ''Lasianthus'' has about 300 species. The type species for the g ...

'' {{small, Hiern *''

'' {{small, R.Jagad., S.P.Mathew, Gangapr. & E.S.S.Kumar *''

Lasianthus angustifolius ''Lasianthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are tropical subshrubs, shrubs, or rarely, small trees. They inhabit the understory of primary forests. ''Lasianthus'' has about 300 species. The type species for the g ...

'' {{small, King & Gamble *''

Lasianthus annamicus ''Lasianthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are tropical subshrubs, shrubs, or rarely, small trees. They inhabit the understory of primary forests. ''Lasianthus'' has about 300 species. The type species for the g ...

'' {{small, Pit. *''

Lasianthus apiocarpus ''Lasianthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are tropical subshrubs, shrubs, or rarely, small trees. They inhabit the understory of primary forests. ''Lasianthus'' has about 300 species. The type species for the g ...

'' {{small, Miq. *''

Lasianthus appressus ''Lasianthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are tropical subshrubs, shrubs, or rarely, small trees. They inhabit the understory of primary forests. ''Lasianthus'' has about 300 species. The type species for the g ...

'' {{small, Hook.f. *''

Lasianthus aristatus ''Lasianthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are tropical subshrubs, shrubs, or rarely, small trees. They inhabit the understory of primary forests. ''Lasianthus'' has about 300 species. The type species for the g ...

'' {{small, Craib *''

Lasianthus atroneurus ''Lasianthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are tropical subshrubs, shrubs, or rarely, small trees. They inhabit the understory of primary forests. ''Lasianthus'' has about 300 species. The type species for the g ...

'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus attenuatus'' {{small, Jack *'' Lasianthus austrosinensis'' {{small, H.S.Lo *'' Lasianthus austroyunnanensis'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus baasianus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus bachmaensis'' {{small, V.S.Dang & Naiki *'' Lasianthus bahorucanus'' {{small, Zanoni *'' Lasianthus barbatus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus barbiger'' {{small, Ridl. *'' Lasianthus batangensis'' {{small, K.Schum. *'' Lasianthus bicolor'' {{small, Craib *'' Lasianthus bidoupensis'' {{small, V.S.Dang & Naiki *'' Lasianthus biermannii'' {{small, King ex Hook.f. *'' Lasianthus bifloroideus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus biflorus'' {{small, (Blume) M.Gangop. & Chakrab. *'' Lasianthus blumeanus'' {{small, Wight *'' Lasianthus bokorensis'' {{small, Naiki *'' Lasianthus bolavenensis'' {{small, Tagane & Soulad. *'' Lasianthus borneensis'' {{small, Merr. *'' Lasianthus bracteolatus'' {{small, Miq. *'' Lasianthus brevipedicellatus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus brevipedunculatus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus brochidodromus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus bruneensis'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus burmanicus'' {{small, M.Gangop. & Chakrab. *'' Lasianthus caeruleus'' {{small, Pit. *'' Lasianthus cailinianus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus calycinus'' {{small, Dunn *'' Lasianthus cambodianus'' {{small, Pit. *'' Lasianthus camlamensis'' {{small, V.S.Dang & Naiki *'' Lasianthus candidus'' {{small, V.S.Dang, Naiki & Yahara *'' Lasianthus capitatus'' {{small, Blume *'' Lasianthus capitulatus'' {{small, Wight *'' Lasianthus cereiflorus'' {{small, E.A.Bruce *'' Lasianthus chartaceus'' {{small, Craib *'' Lasianthus chevalieri'' {{small, Pit. *'' Lasianthus chii'' {{small, V.S.Dang & Naiki *'' Lasianthus chinensis'' {{small, (Champ.) Benth. *'' Lasianthus chlorocarpus'' {{small, K.Schum. *'' Lasianthus chowdheryi'' {{small, Karthig., Jayanthi & Sumathi *'' Lasianthus chryseus'' {{small, Ridl. *'' Lasianthus chrysocaulis'' {{small, Ridsdale *'' Lasianthus chrysoneurus'' {{small, (Korth.) Miq. *'' Lasianthus chrysophyllus'' {{small, Miq. *'' Lasianthus chrysotrichus'' {{small, Lauterb. *'' Lasianthus chunii'' {{small, H.S.Lo *'' Lasianthus ciliatus'' {{small, Wight *'' Lasianthus cinereus'' {{small, Gamble *'' Lasianthus clementis'' {{small, Merr. *'' Lasianthus coffeoides'' {{small, Fyson *'' Lasianthus congesticymus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus conspicuus'' {{small, Ridl. *'' Lasianthus constrictus'' {{small, Wight *'' Lasianthus cordatus'' {{small, Merr. *'' Lasianthus coriaceifolius'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus coronatus'' {{small, King & Gamble *'' Lasianthus crassinervis'' {{small, Ridl. *'' Lasianthus crinitus'' {{small, Hook.f. *'' Lasianthus curtisii'' {{small, King & Gamble *'' Lasianthus cyanocarpoides'' {{small, Valeton *'' Lasianthus cyanocarpus'' {{small, Jack *'' Lasianthus dakgleiensis'' {{small, V.S.Dang, Naiki & Tagane *'' Lasianthus dalatensis'' {{small, Wernham *'' Lasianthus depressineurus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus dichotomus'' {{small, Wight *'' Lasianthus dienkhanhensis'' {{small, V.S.Dang & Naiki *'' Lasianthus dinghouanus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus eberhardtii'' {{small, Pit. *'' Lasianthus elevatineurus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus ellipsoideus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus ellipticus'' {{small, Wight *'' Lasianthus eriocalyx'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus euneurus'' {{small, Stapf *'' Lasianthus fansipanensis'' {{small, V.S.Dang & Naiki *'' Lasianthus fasciculus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus ferrugineus'' {{small, King & Gamble *'' Lasianthus filiformis'' {{small, King & Gamble *'' Lasianthus filipedunculatus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus filipes'' {{small, Chun ex H.S.Lo *'' Lasianthus flavihirtus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus flavinervius'' {{small, Ridl. *'' Lasianthus floresensis'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus foetidissimus'' {{small, A.Chev. ex Pit. *'' Lasianthus foetulentus'' {{small, Ridsdale *''

Lasianthus fordii ''Lasianthus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. They are tropical subshrubs, shrubs, or rarely, small trees. They inhabit the understory of primary forests. ''Lasianthus'' has about 300 species. The type species for the g ...

'' {{small, Hance *'' Lasianthus formosensis'' {{small, Matsum. *'' Lasianthus foxworthyanus'' {{small, Craib *'' Lasianthus furcatoides'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus gardneri'' {{small, (Thwaites) Hook.f. *'' Lasianthus gialaiensis'' {{small, V.S.Dang, Vuong, Quan & Naiki *'' Lasianthus giganteus'' {{small, Naiki *'' Lasianthus glaber'' {{small, Ridl. *'' Lasianthus globularis'' {{small, V.S.Dang & Naiki *'' Lasianthus glomeruliflorus'' {{small, K.Schum. *'' Lasianthus griffithii'' {{small, Wight *'' Lasianthus halconensis'' {{small, Arshed & Alejandro *'' Lasianthus harmandianus'' {{small, Pierre ex Pit. *'' Lasianthus harveyanus'' {{small, King & Gamble *'' Lasianthus hatinhensis'' {{small, V.S.Dang, Naiki & Yahara *'' Lasianthus helferi'' {{small, Hook.f. *'' Lasianthus henryi'' {{small, Hutch. *'' Lasianthus hexander'' {{small, Blume *'' Lasianthus hirsutisepalus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus hirsutus'' {{small, (Roxb.) Merr. *'' Lasianthus hirtimarginatus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus hirtus'' {{small, Ridl. *'' Lasianthus hispidulus'' {{small, (Drake) Pit. *'' Lasianthus honbaensis'' {{small, V.S.Dang, Tagane & H.Toyama *'' Lasianthus hongiaoensis'' {{small, V.S.Dang & Naiki *'' Lasianthus hookeri'' {{small, C.B.Clarke ex Hook.f. *'' Lasianthus inodorus'' {{small, Blume *'' Lasianthus iteoides'' {{small, Valeton ex H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus iteophyllus'' {{small, Miq. *'' Lasianthus jackianus'' {{small, Wight *'' Lasianthus jangarunii'' {{small, Y.W.Low *'' Lasianthus japonicus'' {{small, Miq. *'' Lasianthus kailarsenii'' {{small, Poopath, S.Vajrodaya & Napiroon *'' Lasianthus kbangensis'' {{small, V.S.Dang, Vuong & Naiki *'' Lasianthus khanhhoaensis'' {{small, V.S.Dang & Naiki *'' Lasianthus khanhvinhensis'' {{small, V.S.Dang & Naiki *'' Lasianthus kilimandscharicus'' {{small, K.Schum. *'' Lasianthus kinabaluensis'' {{small, Stapf *'' Lasianthus konchurangensis'' {{small, V.S.Dang, T.B.Tran & Ha *'' Lasianthus kontumensis'' {{small, V.S.Dang, Naiki & Tagane *'' Lasianthus krabiensis'' {{small, Napiroon, Balslev & Chamch. *'' Lasianthus lacduongensis'' {{small, V.S.Dang & Naiki *'' Lasianthus laevigatus'' {{small, Blume *'' Lasianthus lamdongensis'' {{small, V.S.Dang, Naiki & Toyama *'' Lasianthus lanceolatus'' {{small, (Griseb.) Urb. *'' Lasianthus lancifolius'' {{small, Hook.f. *'' Lasianthus lancilobus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus laoticus'' {{small, Tagane, Soulad. & Nob.Tanaka *'' Lasianthus larsenii'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus latifolius'' {{small, (Blume ex DC.) Miq. *'' Lasianthus laxifloroideus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus laxiflorus'' {{small, Merr. *'' Lasianthus laxinervis'' {{small, (Verdc.) Jannerup *'' Lasianthus lecomtei'' {{small, Pit. *'' Lasianthus ledermannii'' {{small, Valeton *'' Lasianthus linearifolius'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus linearisepalus'' {{small, C.Y.Wu & H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus lineolatus'' {{small, Craib *'' Lasianthus loeiensis'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus longibracteatus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus longifolius'' {{small, Wight *'' Lasianthus longipedunculatus'' {{small, R.Parker *'' Lasianthus longissimus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus lucidus'' {{small, Blume *'' Lasianthus macrobracteatus'' {{small, Rugayah & Sunarti *'' Lasianthus macrocalyx'' {{small, K.Schum. *'' Lasianthus maculatus'' {{small, Craib *'' Lasianthus malaccensis'' {{small, King & Gamble *'' Lasianthus malaiensis'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus marginatus'' {{small, Craib *'' Lasianthus meeboldii'' {{small, Deb & M.G.Gangop. *'' Lasianthus megaphyllus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus membranaceoideus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus membranaceus'' {{small, Stapf *'' Lasianthus micranthus'' {{small, Hook.f. *'' Lasianthus microcalyx'' {{small, K.Schum. *'' Lasianthus minutiflorus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus mollis'' {{small, Ridl. *'' Lasianthus montanus'' {{small, King & Gamble *'' Lasianthus moonii'' {{small, Wight *'' Lasianthus mucronulatus'' {{small, (Korth.) Miq. *'' Lasianthus myrtifolius'' {{small, Ridl. *'' Lasianthus naikii'' {{small, V.S.Dang & Vuong *'' Lasianthus neolanceolatus'' {{small, Ridsdale *'' Lasianthus nervosus'' {{small, King & Gamble *'' Lasianthus nghiasonii'' {{small, V.S.Dang & Naiki *'' Lasianthus ngoclinhensis'' {{small, V.S.Dang, Naiki & Yahara *'' Lasianthus nhatrangensis'' {{small, V.S.Dang & Naiki *'' Lasianthus nigrescens'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus nuichuaensis'' {{small, V.S.Dang & Naiki *'' Lasianthus oblanceolatus'' {{small, Naiki, Tagane & Yahara *'' Lasianthus obliquinervis'' {{small, Merr. *'' Lasianthus obliquus'' {{small, (Thwaites) Thwaites *'' Lasianthus oblongatus'' {{small, Merr. *'' Lasianthus oblongifolius'' {{small, Bedd. *'' Lasianthus oblongilobus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus oblongus'' {{small, King & Gamble *'' Lasianthus obovatibracteatus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus obovatus'' {{small, Bedd. *'' Lasianthus obscurus'' {{small, (DC.) Blume ex Miq. *'' Lasianthus oliganthus'' {{small, Thwaites *'' Lasianthus oligoneurus'' {{small, K.Schum. *'' Lasianthus ovatus'' {{small, (Korth.) Miq. *'' Lasianthus palawanensis'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus panamensis'' {{small, (Dwyer) Robbr. *'' Lasianthus papuanus'' {{small, Wernham *'' Lasianthus parviflorus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus parvifolius'' {{small, Wight *'' Lasianthus pauciflorus'' {{small, Wight *'' Lasianthus pedicellatus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus pedunculatus'' {{small, E.A.Bruce *'' Lasianthus pendulus'' {{small, Ridl. *'' Lasianthus perakensis'' {{small, King & Gamble *'' Lasianthus pergamaceus'' {{small, King & Gamble *'' Lasianthus phamhoangii'' {{small, V.S.Dang & Naiki *'' Lasianthus phymatodeus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus pierrei'' {{small, Pit. *'' Lasianthus pilosus'' {{small, Wight *'' Lasianthus platyphyllus'' {{small, (Korth.) Miq. *'' Lasianthus politus'' {{small, Ridl. *'' Lasianthus protractus'' {{small, (Thwaites) Thwaites *'' Lasianthus pseudolongifolius'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus pseudostipularis'' {{small, Amshoff ex Bakh.f. *'' Lasianthus puberulus'' {{small, Craib *'' Lasianthus puffii'' {{small, Napiroon, Balslev & Poopath *'' Lasianthus purpureocalyx'' {{small, Napiroon, Chamch., Balslev & Chayam. *'' Lasianthus purpureus'' {{small, Blume *'' Lasianthus rabilii'' {{small, Craib *'' Lasianthus repens'' {{small, Hepper *'' Lasianthus repoeuensis'' {{small, Pierre ex Pit. *'' Lasianthus reticulatus'' {{small, Blume *'' Lasianthus rhinocerotis'' {{small, Blume *'' Lasianthus rhizophyllus'' {{small, (Thwaites) Thwaites *'' Lasianthus ridleyi'' {{small, King & Gamble *'' Lasianthus ridsdalei'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus rigidus'' {{small, Miq. *'' Lasianthus robinsonii'' {{small, Ridl. *'' Lasianthus roosianus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus rostratus'' {{small, Wight *'' Lasianthus rotundatus'' {{small, Stapf *'' Lasianthus rufus'' {{small, (Korth.) Miq. *'' Lasianthus sabahensis'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus sapaensis'' {{small, V.S.Dang & Naiki *'' Lasianthus saprosmoides'' {{small, Pit. *'' Lasianthus sarmentosus'' {{small, Craib *'' Lasianthus saxorum'' {{small, Craib *'' Lasianthus scabridus'' {{small, King & Gamble *'' Lasianthus scalariformis'' {{small, King & Gamble *'' Lasianthus schmidtii'' {{small, K.Schum. *'' Lasianthus sessilis'' {{small, Talbot *'' Lasianthus setulosus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus sikkimensis'' {{small, Hook.f. *'' Lasianthus simizui'' {{small, (Tang S.Liu & J.M.Chao) H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus sithammaratensis'' {{small, Napiroon, Balslev & Chayam. *'' Lasianthus sogerensis'' {{small, Wernham *'' Lasianthus solomonensis'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus sonlangensis'' {{small, V.S.Dang, Vuong & Quan *'' Lasianthus stephanocalycinus'' {{small, Naiki, Tagane & Yahara *'' Lasianthus stercorarius'' {{small, Blume *'' Lasianthus sterrophyllus'' {{small, Merr. *'' Lasianthus stipularis'' {{small, Blume *'' Lasianthus strigillosus'' {{small, Hook.f. *'' Lasianthus strigosus'' {{small, Wight *'' Lasianthus subaureus'' {{small, Craib *'' Lasianthus subcalvus'' {{small, Craib *'' Lasianthus subglobosus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus submembranifolius'' {{small, Elmer *'' Lasianthus sumatraensis'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus sylvestroides'' {{small, Valeton *'' Lasianthus taiwanensis'' {{small, S.S.Ying *'' Lasianthus tamdaoensis'' {{small, V.S.Dang *'' Lasianthus tennissarimensis'' {{small, Napiroon, Balslev & Chayam. *'' Lasianthus tenuifolius'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus tetragonus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus thuathienhuensis'' {{small, V.S.Dang & Naiki *'' Lasianthus thuyanae'' {{small, V.S.Dang & Naiki *'' Lasianthus thwaitesii'' {{small, Hook.f. *'' Lasianthus tomentosus'' {{small, Blume *'' Lasianthus trichophlebus'' {{small, Hemsl. *'' Lasianthus undulatus'' {{small, H.Zhu *'' Lasianthus urophylloides'' {{small, R.D.Good *'' Lasianthus varians'' {{small, (Thwaites) Thwaites *'' Lasianthus venosus'' {{small, Blume *'' Lasianthus venulosus'' {{small, (Wight & Arn.) Wight *'' Lasianthus verrucosus'' {{small, H.S.Lo *'' Lasianthus verticillatus'' {{small, (Lour.) Merr. *'' Lasianthus vietnamensis'' {{small, V.S.Dang, Naiki & Tagane *'' Lasianthus viridiramulis'' {{small, Tagane *'' Lasianthus vrieseanus'' {{small, Miq. *'' Lasianthus vulcanicus'' {{small, Ridl. *'' Lasianthus vuquangensis'' {{small, V.S.Dang, Naiki & Yahara *'' Lasianthus wallacei'' {{small, E.A.Bruce *'' Lasianthus wardii'' {{small, C.E.C.Fisch. & Kaul *'' Lasianthus wawoniensis'' {{small, Rugayah & Sunarti *'' Lasianthus wightianus'' {{small, Hook.f. *'' Lasianthus yaharae'' {{small, V.S.Dang, Tagane & H.Tran *'' Lasianthus yalaensis'' {{small, Napiroon, Duangjai & Poopath *'' Lasianthus yersinii'' {{small, V.S.Dang & Naiki

Description

Subshrubs, shrubs, or rarely, small trees. Leaves

opposite In lexical semantics, opposites are words lying in an inherently incompatible binary relationship. For example, something that is ''even'' entails that it is not ''odd''. It is referred to as a 'binary' relationship because there are two members i ...

distichous In botany, phyllotaxis () or phyllotaxy is the arrangement of leaves on a plant stem. Phyllotactic spirals form a distinctive class of patterns in nature. Leaf arrangement The basic arrangements of leaves on a stem are opposite and alternat ...

Stipule In botany, a stipule is an outgrowth typically borne on both sides (sometimes on just one side) of the base of a leafstalk (the petiole (botany), petiole). They are primarily found among dicots and rare among monocots. Stipules are considered part ...

s interpetiolar, usually persistent. Inflorescences

axil A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, fl ...

lary, usually

sessile Sessility, or sessile, may refer to: * Sessility (motility), organisms which are not able to move about * Sessility (botany), flowers or leaves that grow directly from the stem or peduncle of a plant * Sessility (medicine), tumors and polyps that ...

. Flowers small, white.

Calyx CALYX, Inc. is a non-profit publisher of art and literature by women founded in 1976 based in Corvallis, Oregon. CALYX publishes both '' CALYX, A Journal of Art and Literature by Women'' twice a year and CALYX Books, which publishes one to three ...

with 3 to 6 teeth or lobes; persistent. Corolla with 4 to 6 lobes; throat usually villous.

Stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s 4 to 6, inserted on corolla throat.

Anther The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s dorsifixed. Stigma with

lanceolate The following terms are used to describe leaf plant morphology, morphology in the description and taxonomy (biology), taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (that is, the leaf blade or 'lamina' is undivided) or compound (that is, the leaf blade ...

linear In mathematics, the term ''linear'' is used in two distinct senses for two different properties: * linearity of a '' function'' (or '' mapping''); * linearity of a '' polynomial''. An example of a linear function is the function defined by f(x) ...

lobes.

Ovary The ovary () is a gonad in the female reproductive system that produces ova; when released, an ovum travels through the fallopian tube/ oviduct into the uterus. There is an ovary on the left and the right side of the body. The ovaries are end ...

multilocular.

Ovule In seed plants, the ovule is the structure that gives rise to and contains the female reproductive cells. It consists of three parts: the ''integument'', forming its outer layer, the ''nucellus'' (or remnant of the sporangium, megasporangium), ...

s basal, erect, 1 per locule. Fruit a small

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 ...

, usually blue.

Pyrenes Pyrene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) consisting of four fused benzene rings, resulting in a flat aromatic system. The chemical formula is . This yellow-green solid is the smallest peri-fused PAH (one where the rings are fused thro ...

with thick walls.{{cn, date=May 2025

History

The generic name ''Lasianthus'' is derived from the Greek ''lasios'', "shaggy, velvety, hairy", and ''anthos'', "flower".Umberto Quattrocchi. 2000. ''CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names'' volume II. CRC Press: Boca Raton; New York; Washington,DC;, USA. London, UK. {{ISBN, 978-0-8493-2676-9 (vol. II). (see ''External links'' below). The genus was named by William Jack in 1823.''Lasianthus'' in International Plant Names Index. (see ''External links'' below).William Jack. !823. ''Transactions of the Linnean Society of London'' 14:125. (See ''External links'' below). Some authors have recognized ''Dressleriopsis'' and ''Litosanthes'' as genera separate from ''Lasianthus''. ''Dressleriopsis'' was sunk into ''Lasianthus'' in 1982. ''Litosanthes'' was erected by

Carl Ludwig Blume Charles Ludwig de Blume or Karl Ludwig von Blume (9 June 1796 – 3 February 1862) was a German-Dutch botanist and entomologist who spent most of his professional life in the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies. As deputy director of agricul ...

in 1823. It was synonymized under ''Lasianthus'' in 1992.Mohan G. Gagnopadhyay and T. Chakrabarty. 1992. "A note on the status of ''Litosanthes'' Bl. (Rubiaceae)". ''Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany'' 16(2):337-338.

DNA sequence A nucleic acid sequence is a succession of bases within the nucleotides forming alleles within a DNA (using GACT) or RNA (GACU) molecule. This succession is denoted by a series of a set of five different letters that indicate the order of the nu ...

analysis has not resolved the question of whether ''Litosanthes'' is nested within ''Lasianthus'' or separate from it.{{cn, date=January 2025

Affinities

''Lasianthus'', '' Saldinia'', and ''

Trichostachys ''Trichostachys'' is a genus of plant in the family Rubiaceae Rubiaceae () is a family (biology), family of flowering plants, commonly known as the coffee, madder, or bedstraw family. It consists of terrestrial trees, shrubs, lianas, or herb ...

'' form the tribe Lasiantheae in the subfamily

Rubioideae ''Rubioideae'' is a subfamily of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae and contains about 7600 species in 27 tribes. Tribes * Anthospermeae Cham. & Schltdl. ex DC. * Argostemmateae Bremek. ex Verdc. * Clarkelleae Deb * Colletoecemat ...

. ''

Perama Perama () is a coastal town and a suburb of Piraeus and belongs to the Piraeus regional unit and is the southwestern limit of Athens urban area. It lies on the southwest edge of the Aegaleo mountains, on the Saronic Gulf coast. It is 8 km ...

'' is related to this group and might be included within it. Lasiantheae was formerly thought to be close to ''

Psychotria ''Psychotria'' is a large genus of flowering plants in the coffee family Rubiaceae, with over 1,600 species. The genus has a pantropical distribution and members of the genus are small understorey trees in tropical forests. Some species are endan ...

'', but is now known to be a basal clade in

. It is sister to the large clade containing '' Coussarea'', ''Psychotria'', ''

Spermacoce ''Spermacoce'' or false buttonweed is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It comprises about 275 species found throughout the tropics and subtropics. Its highest diversity is found in the Americas, followed by Africa, Australia a ...

'', and many other genera. ''

Saprosma ''Saprosma'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. There are about 40 species distributed from south China to tropical Asia. These are shrubs with opposite or whorled leaves and often an offensive scent. The inflorescence is us ...

'' and ''

Amaracarpus ''Amaracarpus'' is a genus of shrubs, treelets or trees in the family Rubiaceae. It was described by Carl Ludwig Blume in 1826. Most of the species are endemic to New Guinea but a few have wider ranges in Southeast Asia from Myanmar (Burma) and t ...

'' were traditionally thought to be close to ''Lasianthus''. ''Saprosma'' is

polyphyletic A polyphyletic group is an assemblage that includes organisms with mixed evolutionary origin but does not include their most recent common ancestor. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as Homoplasy, homoplasies ...

, with only part of it related to ''Lasianthus''. ''Amaracarpus'' is close to ''Psychotria''. The African genera '' Batopedina'' and '' Dirichletia'' have also been suggested as relatives of ''Lasianthus''.

Taxonomy

Only one

molecular phylogenetic Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

study has sampled more than a few species from the tribe Lasiantheae. In that study, 11 species of ''Lasianthus'' were sampled, but few relationships were resolved. In 2012, a revision of the Malesian species divided ''Lasianthus'' into 3 sections, based on the following type species: ''L.'' section ''Stipulares'' ('' Lasianthus stipularis''), ''L.'' section ''Lasianthus'' ('' Lasianthus cyanocarpus''), and ''L.'' section ''Nudiflorae'' ('' Lasianthus blumeanus''). They did not recognize ''L.'' section ''Pedunculatae'' ('' Lasianthus biermanii''), which some previous authors had recognized. They considered it to be indistinguishable from ''L.'' section ''Lasianthus''.

References

{{Reflist, refs= {{cite web , url=https://www.ipni.org/n/331701-2 , title=''Lasianthus'' , website=

International Plant Names Index The International Plant Names Index (IPNI) describes itself as "a database of the names and associated basic bibliographical details of seed plants, ferns and lycophytes." Coverage of plant names is best at the rank of species and genus. It inclu ...

(IPNI) , publisher=

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. An internationally important botanical research and education institution, it employs 1,10 ...

, year=2025 , access-date=15 May 2025 {{cite journal , last1=Xiao , first1=Long-Qian , last2=Zhu , first2=Hua , title=Paraphyly and phylogenetic relationships in ''Lasianthus'' (Rubiaceae) inferred from chloroplast rps16 data , journal=Botanical Studies , date=2007 , volume=48 , pages=227–232 , url=https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=50ca163e91dcd9bff19c25d31fd03b9f3235c95f {{cite journal , title=Deep divergences in the coffee family and the systematic position of ''Acranthera'' , date=2009 , last1=Rydin , first1=Catarina , last2=Kainulainen , first2=Kent , last3=Razafimandimbison , first3=Sylvain G. , last4=Smedmark , first4=Jenny E E. , last5=Bremer , first5=Birgitta , journal=Plant Systematics and Evolution , volume=278 , issue=1–2 , pages=101–123 , doi=10.1007/s00606-008-0138-4 , bibcode=2009PSyEv.278..101R , url=https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/18116/11/ZORA_NL_18116.pdf {{cite journal , title=A taxonomic revision of the Malesian species of ''Lasianthus'' (Rubiaceae) , date=2012 , last1=Zhu , first1=H. , last2=Roos , first2=M. C. , last3=Ridsdale , first3=C. E. , journal=Blumea - Biodiversity, Evolution and Biogeography of Plants , volume=57 , issue=1 , doi=10.3767/000651912X652012 , pages=1–102 , bibcode=2012Blume..57....1Z {{cite journal , last1=Deb , first1=D.B. , last2=Gangopadhyay , first2=M. , title=Taxonomic study of the genus Lasianthus Jack (Rubiaceae) in India , journal=Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany , date=1991 , volume=15 , issue=2 , pages=265–308