''Maesobotrya'' is a

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 ...

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 belonging to the

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 ...

Phyllanthaceae Phyllanthaceae is a Family (biology), family of flowering plants in the eudicot Order (biology), order Malpighiales. It is most closely related to the family Picrodendraceae.Kenneth J. Wurdack and Charles C. Davis. 2009. "Malpighiales phylogeneti ...

. It was first described as a genus in 1879 and is native to

sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...

.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> It is

dioecious Dioecy ( ; ; adj. dioecious, ) is a characteristic of certain species that have distinct unisexual individuals, each producing either male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproduction is ...

, with male and female flowers on separate plants.

Species

The following species are recognised in the genus ''Maesobotrya'': ;Formerly included * ''Maesobotrya oblonga - moved to

Antidesma oblongum ''Antidesma'' is a genus of tropical plant in the family Phyllanthaceae formally described by Linnaeus in 1753. It is native to tropical Africa, S + E + SE Asia, Australia, and various oceanic islands. The greatest diversity occurs in Southe ...

'' * ''Maesobotrya stapfiana - moved to

Protomegabaria stapfiana ''Protomegabaria stapfiana'' is a species of plant in the family Phyllanthaceae. It is native to western tropical Africa. Distribution and habitat ''P. stapfiana'' can be found in Angola, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of t ...

References

Phyllanthaceae Phyllanthaceae genera Dioecious plants Flora of the Afrotropical realm {{Phyllanthaceae-stub