Meliosma

{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}} {{Automatic taxobox |fossil_range={{fossil_range|Tiffanian|Present}}<ref name="Wing" /> | image = Meliosma veitchorum1.jpg | image_caption = ''Meliosma veitchiorum'' | taxon = Meliosma | authority = Blume | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = See text | synonyms = ''Millingtonia'' Roxb. ''Wellingtonia'' Meisn. }} [[File:Meliosma henryi 02.jpg|thumb|right|''Meliosma henryi'']] thumb|right|''Meliosma pinnata var. oldhamii'' seeds

'''''Meliosma''''' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Sabiaceae, native to tropical to warm temperate regions of southern and eastern Asia and the Americas. It is traditionally considered to contain about 100 species; some botanists<ref>E.g. van Beusekom (1971)</ref> take a much more conservative view accepting only 20-25 species as distinct. They are trees or shrubs, growing to 10–45 m tall.

Fossil evidence shows the genus formerly had a much wider range in the Northern Hemisphere, including Europe and central Asia until the late Pliocene ice ages, and somewhat earlier in North America.<ref>van Beusekom (1971)</ref> At least 17 species of Meliosma are known from Peru.<ref>Gentry, A., 1992. Four New Species of Meliosma (Sabiaceae) from Peru. Novon, 2(2), p.155.</ref>

The Indian awlking (''Choaspes benjaminii'') is one of the Lepidoptera whose caterpillars feed on ''Meliosma''; they have been found on ''M. pungens'', ''rhoifolia'', ''M. rigida'', and ''M. squamulata''.

==Selected species== '''Asia''' {{div col|colwidth=28em}} * ''Meliosma angustifolia'' * ''Meliosma arnottiana'' (syn. ''Wellingtonia arnottiana'') * ''Meliosma beaniana'' * ''Meliosma bifida'' * ''Meliosma callicarpaefolia'' * ''Meliosma cuneifolia'' * ''Meliosma dentata'' * ''Meliosma dilleniifolia'' * ''Meliosma dumicola'' * ''Meliosma flexuosa'' * ''Meliosma fordii'' * ''Meliosma glandulosa'' * ''Meliosma henryi'' * ''Meliosma kirkii'' * ''Meliosma laui'' * ''Meliosma longipes'' * ''Meliosma myriantha'' * ''Meliosma oldhamii'' * ''Meliosma parviflora'' * ''Meliosma paupera'' * ''Meliosma pinnata'' * ''Meliosma pungens'' * ''Meliosma rhoifolia'' * ''Meliosma rigida'' * ''Meliosma simplicifolia'' * ''Meliosma squamulata'' * ''Meliosma sumatrana'' * ''Meliosma thomsonii'' * ''Meliosma thorelii'' * ''Meliosma veitchiorum'' * ''Meliosma velutina'' * ''Meliosma yunnanensis'' {{div col end}}

'''Americas''' {{div col|colwidth=28em}} * ''Meliosma alba'' * †''Meliosma beusekomii'' * ''Meliosma bogotana'' * ''Meliosma brasiliensis'' Urb. * ''Meliosma cordata'' * ''Meliosma frondosa'' * ''Meliosma glaziovii'' * ''Meliosma herbertii'' * ''Meliosma itatiaiae'' * ''Meliosma linearifolia'' * ''Meliosma littlei'' * ''Meliosma meridensis'' * ''Meliosma nesites'' * ''Meliosma sellowii'' * ''Meliosma sinuata'' * ''Meliosma sirensis'' * ''Meliosma vernicosa'' * ''Meliosma youngii'' {{div col end}}

==Fossil record== Fossil endocarps from the early Miocene of '' Meliosma wetteraviensis'', have been found in the Czech part of the Zittau Basin. Stratigraphical range of this taxon is from the late Oligocene to Pliocene of Western Europe and Siberia.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Acta Palaeobotanica|year=2003|title=Early Miocene carpological material from the Czech part of the Zittau Basin|first1=Vasilis|last1=Teodoridis}}</ref> Additional ''Meliosma'' fossils have been found in the middle Eocene Clarno Formation of Oregon, USA,<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Retallack|first1=G.J.|year=1996|title=Reconstructions of Eocene and Oligocene plants and animals of central Oregon|journal=Oregon Geology}}.</ref> and the Paleocene Fort Union Formation of Wyoming.<ref name= "Wing">{{cite journal|first1=S.L.|last1=Wing|first2=J|last2=Alroy|first3=L.J.|last3=Hickey|year=1995|title=Plant and mammal diversity in the Paleocene to Early Eocene of the Bighorn Basin|journal=Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology|volume=115 |issue=1–4 |page=117 |doi=10.1016/0031-0182(94)00109-L |bibcode=1995PPP...115..117W |doi-access=free}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== * {{aut|van Beusekom, C.F.}} (1971): Revision of ''Meliosma'' (Sabiaceae), section ''Lorenzanea'' excepted, living and fossil, geography and phylogeny. ''Blumea'' '''19''': 355–529.

==External links== *[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=120161 Flora of Pakistan: ''Meliosma''] *[http://www.efloras.org/browse.aspx?flora_id=3&start_taxon_id=120161 Flora of China: ''Meliosma'' species list] *[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=201&taxon_id=120161 Flora of Ecuador: ''Meliosma''] *[http://herbario.iac.sp.gov.br/Relatorios/listagens/lgenero.asp?Tarefa=Meliosma IAC Herbarium (Brazil): ''Meliosma'' species list]

Category:Meliosma Category:Eudicot genera