''Listia'' 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

Fabaceae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...

and the tribe

Crotalarieae Crotalarieae is a tribe of flowering plants belonging to the family Fabaceae. It includes rooibos ''(Aspalathus linearis)'', which is harvested for sale as a tisane. Description The Crotalarieae arose 31.2 ± 3.4 million years ago (in the Oligoc ...

. Members of this genus are mainly found in southern

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 ...

but some species can be found in central Africa. It was recently segregated from the genus '' Lotononis''. Unlike other members of the

, members of the genus ''Listia'' have lupinoid

root nodule Root nodules are found on the roots of plants, primarily legumes, that form a symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Under nitrogen-limiting conditions, capable plants form a symbiotic relationship with a host-specific strain of bacteria known ...

s. The genus name of ''Listia'' is in honour of Friedrich Ludwig List (1779-1837), who was a German botanist and teacher. The genus was circumscribed by

Ernst Heinrich Friedrich Meyer Ernst Heinrich Friedrich Meyer (1 January 1791 – 7 August 1858) was a German botanist and botanical historian. Born in the Electorate of Hanover, he lectured in Göttingen and in 1826 became a professor of botany at the University of Königsb ...

in Comm. Pl. Afr. Austr. (Meyer) page 80 in 1835.

Species

As accepted by Kew: * '' Listia angolensis'' (Welw. ''ex'' Bak.) B.-E. van Wyk & Boatwr. * '' Listia bainesii'' (Bak.) B.-E. van Wyk & Boatwr. * '' Listia heterophylla'' (E. Mey.) B.-E. van Wyk & Boatwr. * '' Listia marlothii'' (Engl.) B.-E. van Wyk & Boatwr. * '' Listia minima'' (B.-E. van Wyk) B.-E. van Wyk & Boatwr. * '' Listia solitudinis'' (Dümmer) B.-E. van Wyk & Boatwr. * '' Listia subulata'' (B.-E. van Wyk) B.-E. van Wyk & Boatwr.

References

Crotalarieae Fabaceae genera Flora of East Tropical Africa Flora of South Tropical Africa Flora of Southern Africa {{Faboideae-stub