Myrothamnus

{{Short description|Genus of shrubs}} {{Automatic taxobox |image = Myrothamnaceae Myrothamnus flabellifolia.png |image_caption = ''M. flabellifolia''<ref>''Myrothamnus flabellifolia'', illustration from Vegetation der Erde (1915) v. 9 Band III, Heft 1. Fig. 187. by Adolf Engler (1844-1930)</ref> |parent_authority = Nied.<ref name=APGIII2009/> |taxon = Myrothamnus |authority = Welw. |subdivision_ranks = Species |subdivision = * ''Myrothamnus flabellifolius'' * ''Myrothamnus moschata'' }} thumb

'''''Myrothamnus''''' is a genus of flowering plants, consisting of two species<ref name="Christenhusz-Byng2016">{{cite journal |author1=Christenhusz, M. J. M. |author2=Byng, J. W. |name-list-style=amp | year = 2016 | title = The number of known plants species in the world and its annual increase | journal = Phytotaxa | volume = 261 | pages = 201–217 | url = http://biotaxa.org/Phytotaxa/article/download/phytotaxa.261.3.1/20598 | doi = 10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1 | issue = 3 | doi-access = free }}</ref> of small xerophytic shrubs, in the southern parts of tropical Africa and in Madagascar. ''Myrothamnus'' is recognized as the only genus in the family '''Myrothamnaceae'''.

Myrothamnaceae was included in the order Hamamelidales in the Cronquist system.<ref>{{cite book | last = Cronquist | first = Arthur | author-link = Arthur Cronquist | title = An integrated system of classification of flowering plants | url = https://archive.org/details/integratedsystem0000cron | url-access = registration | publisher = Columbia University Press | year = 1981 | isbn = 978-0-231-03880-5 }}</ref> Molecular systematic studies have suggested that ''Myrothamnus'' is not closely related to Hamamelidaceae nor any other family included in that order, but rather is closely related to the morphologically very different ''Gunnera''. In the APG II system (2003) the genus is assigned to family Gunneraceae or to the optionally recognized segregate family Myrothamnaceae.<ref>{{cite journal | author = THE ANGIOSPERM PHYLOGENY GROUP | author-link = Angiosperm Phylogeny Group | title = An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG II | journal = Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society | volume = 141 | issue = 4 | pages = 399–436 | date = April 2003 | doi = 10.1046/j.1095-8339.2003.t01-1-00158.x }}</ref> In the APG III system (2009) and APG IV system (2016) the narrower circumscription is preferred, and these two families are considered distinct.<ref name=APGIII2009> {{cite journal | author = THE ANGIOSPERM PHYLOGENY GROUP | author-link = Angiosperm Phylogeny Group | title = An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG III | journal = Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society | volume = 161 | issue = 2 | pages = 105–121 | date = October 29, 2009 | doi = 10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00996.x | doi-access = free | hdl = 10654/18083 | hdl-access = free }}</ref><ref name=APGIV2016>{{Cite journal|author=Angiosperm Phylogeny Group |author-link=Angiosperm Phylogeny Group|year=2016|title=An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG IV|journal=Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society|volume=181|issue=1|pages=1–20|issn=0024-4074|doi=10.1111/boj.12385|doi-access=free}}</ref>

==Species== Species of ''Myrothamnus'' are dioecious shrubs.<ref>{{cite book|doi=10.1007/978-3-662-02899-5_54|chapter=Myrothamnaceae|title=Flowering Plants · Dicotyledons|year=1993|last1=Kubitzki|first1=K.|pages=468–469|isbn=978-3-642-08141-5}}</ref> *''Myrothamnus flabellifolius'' <small>Welw.</small> - Angola, Southern Africa, Zimbabwe *''Myrothamnus moschata'' <small>(Baill.) Baill.</small> - Madagascar

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{Commons category-inline}} * [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?mode=Tree&id=83222&lvl=3&p=mapview&p=has_linkout&p=blast_url&p=genome_blast&lin=f&keep=1&srchmode=1&unlock NCBI Taxonomy Browser] *[http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/Research/APweb/orders/gunneralesweb.htm#Myrothamnaceae Myrothamnaceae] in Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). [http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb Angiosperm Phylogeny Website]. Version 7, May 2006. * [http://delta-intkey.com/angio/www/myrotham.htm Myrothamnaceae] in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). ''[http://delta-intkey.com/angio/ The families of flowering plants]: descriptions, illustrations, identification, information retrieval.'' Version: 21 May 2006. http://delta-intkey.com * [http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/cgi/gateway_family?fam=Myrothamnaceae links at CSDL]

Category:Gunnerales Category:Eudicot genera Category:Dioecious plants Category:Flora of the Afrotropical realm