Lasiodiscus

''Lasiodiscus'', commonly known as red-hair bushes, is a small plant genus in the family Rhamnaceae. It is endemic to Africa and its adjacent islands.

Description

The small trees have opposite, often asymmetric leaves. As with '' Colubrina'', the flower ovaries are surrounded by a nectariferous disc that fills the receptacle.

Habitat

They regularly occur in the understorey of tropical forests, or alternatively in swamp forest. One species, ''L. rozeirae'', is limited to mountain forest understorey.

Relationships

''Lasiodiscus'' is morphologically similar to '' Colubrina'', which occurs in the Neotropics, Asia and Afrotropics, but preliminary molecular analysis failed to group them as nearest relatives.A phylogenetic analysis of Rhamnaceae using RBCL and TRNL-F plastid DNA sequences, J.E. Richardson et al., American Journal of Botany, 87(9), 2000.

Species

There are 9 accepted species:
* '' Lasiodiscus chevalieri'' Hutch. –
* '' Lasiodiscus fasciculiflorus'' Engl. – Sierra Leone to Nigeria, w Cameroon and D.R.C.
* '' Lasiodiscus holtzii'' Engl. – East Africa
* '' Lasiodiscus mannii'' Hook. – central Africa
* '' Lasiodiscus marmoratus'' C.H. Wright – Cameroon
* '' Lasiodiscus mildbraedii'' Engl. – African tropics and locally along east coast to South Africa
* '' Lasiodiscus pervillei'' Baill. – Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion and Comores
: ''L. p. pervillei'' – widespread in Madagascar
: ''L. p. ferrugineus'' (Verdc.) Figueiredo – local and vulnerable in East Africa
* '' Lasiodiscus rozeirae'' A.W. Exell – São Tomé in Gulf of Guinea, vulnerable
* '' Lasiodiscus usambarensis'' Engl. – Usambara Mountains and locally to Zimbabwe

References

External links

Flora of Zimbabwe

Madagascar Catalogue

Description of L. pervillei

Note: The ''Lasiodiscidae'' belongs to the Foraminifera and Reichel (1945) described the genus ''Lasiodiscus''.

Rhamnaceae genera

{{Rhamnaceae-stub