Pachira

{{Short description|Genus of trees}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = Pachira aquatica (inflorescense).jpg | image_caption = ''Pachira aquatica'' | taxon = Pachira | authority = Aubl.<ref name=GRIN>{{cite web |url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?8717 |title=Genus: ''Pachira'' Aubl. |work=Germplasm Resources Information Network |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |date=2003-06-05 |accessdate=2013-04-29 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010064327/http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?8717 |archivedate=2012-10-10 }}</ref> | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = See text | synonyms = *''Bombacopsis'' Pittier *''Carolinea'' L.f. *''Raussinia'' {{small|Neck.}} *''Rhodognaphalopsis'' {{small|A.Robyns}} *''Sophia'' {{small|L.}} | synonyms_ref = <ref name=powo>{{cite web |title=''Pachira'' Aubl. |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:26004-1 |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date=4 November 2025}}</ref>

}}

'''''Pachira''''' is a genus of tropical trees distributed in Central and South America and the Caribbean, ranging from Mexico to Bolivia and southern Brazil.<ref name = powo/> They are classified in the subfamily Bombacoideae of the family Malvaceae. Previously the genus was assigned to Bombacaceae. <ref>[http://ara.inbio.ac.cr/SSTN-IABIN/species/154777 IABIN] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120701113001/http://ara.inbio.ac.cr/SSTN-IABIN/species/154777 |date=2012-07-01 }}</ref><ref name=GRIN/> Prior to that the genus was found in the (now obsolete) Sterculiaceae.

54 species are currently accepted.<ref name = powo/><ref>[https://biopl-a-181.plantbio.cornell.edu/taxpage/0/genus/Pachira.html Plant systematics: ''Pachira'']</ref> They form small or large trees with digitate leaves, and the fruit an oval woody one-celled capsule opening by a number of divisions and containing many seeds.

== History == Although first named ''Pachira'' by Jean Baptiste Aublet in 1775. The genus name is derived from a language spoken in Guyana.<ref name=Genaust1983>Helmut Genaust (1983): Etymologisches Wörterbuch der botanischen Pflanzennamen, 2. Auflage. Birkhäuser Verlag – {{ISBN|3-7643-1399-4}}</ref> Carl Linnaeus the Younger unaware of this separately is said to have called the genus ''Carolinea'' after Princess (or Marchioness) "Sophia Caroline of Baden" in 1782.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=uzZAAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA351 ''The Imperial Dictionary of the English Language''], Ogilvie, J. (ed.) 1883 Pachira p. 351.</ref> <ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=hlgJAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA292 Loudon's Hortus britannicus: A catalogue of all the plants indigenous, cultivated in, or introduced to Britain. London, 1830. I: 292]</ref> <ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=mDMEAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA592 Loudon JC. An encyclopædia of plants. Longman London 1836, p. 592]</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=yfICAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA833 Lindley and Moore. The treasury of botany, Longmans, London 1866. Pachira p. 833]</ref> The principle of precedence gives the authority to ''Pachira''.

The Margrave of Baden, Karl Wilhelm (1709 – 1738) founded the Karlsruhe Palace (''Karlsruher Schloß'') in 1715. He had a considerable interest in botany, particularly the exotic, and had large numbers of trees imported for the Palace Gardens (''Schloßgarten''). He was succeeded by his Grandson, Karl Friedrich (1738 - 1811) who married Princess Karoline Luise von Hessen-Darmstadt (1723 - 1783) in 1751. Karoline Luise was a noted botanist. She corresponded with Carl von Linné (Linnaeus), cultivated numerous plants in the palace gardens, had engravings of them made for a book and had them all classified according to Linnaeus' system. Linnaeus' son, Carl Linnaeus the younger, recognised her contributions by naming one of the trees, ''Pachira aquatica'' (German: ''Glückskastanie'') ''Carolinea princeps'' after her. <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.chem-bio.kit.edu/english/19.php |title=Karlsruhe Institute of Technology: Early Developments of Botany and Genetics in Karlsruhe 1715 - 1832 |access-date=2010-12-02 |archive-date=2023-04-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418130933/https://www.chem-bio.kit.edu/english/19.php |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Commercial use == Timber, cordage and seeds for stuffing pillows and cushions. <ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=_GBCAAAAIAAJ&pg=RA4-PA761 Brande and Cox (eds.) A dictionary of science, literature, & art. Longmans, London 1866 Pachira II: 761]</ref>

==Species== 54 species are accepted.<ref name = powo/> {{div col}} *''Pachira amazonica'' {{small|(A.Robyns) W.S.Alverson}} *''Pachira aquatica'' Aubl. (syn. ''P. macrocarpa'') *''Pachira aracamuniana'' {{small|(Steyerm.) W.S.Alverson}} *''Pachira brevipes'' {{small|(A.Robyns) W.S.Alverson}} *''Pachira calophylla'' {{small|(K.Schum.) Fern.Alonso}} *''Pachira cearensis'' {{small|(Ducke) Carv.-Sobr. & Dorr}} *''Pachira condorensis'' {{small|Fern.Alonso & J.E.Guevara}} *''Pachira coriacea'' {{small|(Mart.) W.S.Alverson}} *''Pachira cowanii'' {{small|(A.Robyns) W.S.Alverson}} *''Pachira cubensis'' {{small|(A.Robyns) Fern.Alonso}} *''Pachira deflexifolia'' {{small|V.N.Yoshik. & M.C.Duarte}} *''Pachira dolichocalyx'' {{small|A.Robyns}} *''Pachira duckei'' {{small|(A.Robyns) Fern.Alonso}} *''Pachira dugandeana'' {{small|(A.Robyns) Fern.Alonso}} *''Pachira emarginata'' A. Rich. *''Pachira endecaphylla'' {{small|(Vell.) Carv.-Sobr.}} *''Pachira faroensis'' {{small|(Ducke) W.S.Alverson}} *''Pachira flaviflora'' {{small|(Pulle) Fern.Alonso}} *''Pachira fuscolepidota'' {{small|(Steyerm.) W.S.Alverson}} *''Pachira glabra'' Pasq. *''Pachira gracilis'' {{small|(A.Robyns) W.S.Alverson}} *''Pachira humilis'' {{small|Otto & A.Dietr.}} *''Pachira inaequalivalvis'' {{small|V.N.Yoshik. & M.C.Duarte}} *''Pachira insignis'' (Sw.) Savigny *''Pachira liesneri'' {{small|(Steyerm.) W.S.Alverson}} *''Pachira macrocalyx'' {{small|(Ducke) Fern.Alonso}} *''Pachira manausensis'' {{small|(A.Robyns) V.N.Yoshik. & C.D.M.Ferreira}} *''Pachira mawarinumae'' {{small|(Steyerm.) W.S.Alverson}} *''Pachira minor'' {{small|(Sims) Otto & A.Dietr.}} *''Pachira morae'' {{small|Fern.Alonso}} *''Pachira moreirae'' {{small|Carv.-Sobr. & W.S.Alverson}} *''Pachira mutisiana'' {{small|Fern.Alonso}} *''Pachira nervosa'' {{small|(Uittien) Fern.Alonso}} *''Pachira nitida'' {{small|Kunth}} *''Pachira nukakica'' {{small|Fern.Alonso}} *''Pachira obovata'' {{small|(A.Robyns) W.S.Alverson}} *''Pachira orinocensis'' (A.Robyns) W.S.Alverson *''Pachira paraensis'' {{small|(Ducke) W.S.Alverson}} *''Pachira patinoi'' {{small|(Dugand & A.Robyns) Fern.Alonso}} *''Pachira pseudofaroensis'' {{small|(A.Robyns) W.S.Alverson}} *''Pachira pulchra'' {{small|Planch. & Linden}} *''Pachira punga-schunkei'' {{small|Fern.Alonso}} * ''Pachira quinata'' (Jacq.) W.S.Alverson<ref name=GRINSpecies>{{cite web |url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?8717 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120718093502/http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?8717 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-18 |title=GRIN Species Records of ''Pachira'' |work=Germplasm Resources Information Network |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |accessdate=2013-04-29 }}</ref> *''Pachira retusa'' {{small|(Mart.) Fern.Alonso}} *''Pachira robynsii'' {{small|(Steyerm. & W.D.Stevens) W.S.Alverson}} *''Pachira rupicola'' {{small|(A.Robyns) W.S.Alverson}} *''Pachira rurrenabaqueana'' {{small|(Rusby) Fern.Alonso}} *''Pachira sessilis'' Benth. *''Pachira sordida'' {{small|(R.E.Schult.) W.S.Alverson}} *''Pachira speciosa'' {{small|Triana & Planch.}} *''Pachira subandina'' {{small|(Dugand) Fern.Alonso}} *''Pachira tepuiensis'' {{small|(Steyerm.) W.S.Alverson}} *''Pachira tocantina'' {{small|(Ducke) Fern.Alonso}} *''Pachira trinitensis'' {{small|Urb.}} *''Pachira yapacanae'' {{small|Steyerm. ex W.S.Alverson}} {{div col end}}

=== Formerly placed here === * ''Pseudobombax grandiflorum'' (Cav.) A.Robyns (as ''P. cyathophora'' Casar.)<ref name=GRINSpecies/>

==References== {{Reflist|2}}

==Further reading== *{{Commons category-inline|Pachira}} *{{Wikispecies-inline}} * [http://eurekamag.com/keyword/p/001/pachira.php New Species and Combinations of ''Catostemma'' and ''Pachira'' (Bombacaceae) from the Venezuelan Guayana. William S. Alverson. Novon Vol. 4, No. 1 (Spring, 1994), pp. 3-8] * [https://books.google.com/books?id=4MpAAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA510 Don G. A general system of gardening and botany: containing a complete enumeration and description of all plants hitherto known with their generic and specific characters, places of growth, time of flowering, mode of culture and their uses in medicine and domestic economy : preceded by introductions to the linnaean and natural systems and a glossary of the terms used; founded upon Miller's Gardener's dictionary and arranged according to the natural system; in four volumes. London 1831. Carolinea I: 510]

Category:Bombacoideae Category:Malvaceae genera Category:Flora of the Neotropical realm Category:Plants described in 1775 Category:Taxa named by Jean Baptiste Christophore Fusée Aublet