Casearia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Casearia
Casearia elliptica parts drawing
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Subclass: Rosidae (unranked) Eurosids I Order: Malpighiales Family: Salicaceae (disputed) Genus: Casearia
Species
Numerous, see text

Casearia is a plant genus in the family Salicaceae. The genus was included in the Flacourtiaceae under the Cronquist system of angiosperm classification, and earlier in the Samydaceae. Recent research^{[citation needed]} indicates that the latter group might be reinstated as a valid family.

They are sometimes employed as honey plants, notably C. decandra and C. sylvestris. The latter species is occasionally used as food by the caterpillars of the Two-barred Flasher (Astraptes fulgerator). Several species are becoming rare due to deforestation. Some appear close to extinction, and C. quinduensis of Colombia and C. tinifolia from Mauritius seem to be extinct since some time in the 20th entury and about 1976, respectively.

[edit] Selected species

• Casearia albicans
• Casearia arborea (Rich.) Urb.
• Casearia atlantica
• Casearia barteri
• Casearia commersiana
• Casearia coriifolia
• Casearia crassinervis
• Casearia dallachii F.Muell.
• Casearia decandra Jacq.
• Casearia elliptica Willd. (= C. tomentosa Roxb.)
• Casearia engleri
• Casearia flavovirens
• Casearia flexula
• Casearia fuliginosa (Blanco) Blanco
• Casearia gladiiformis – Sword-leaf
• Casearia grandiflora A.St.-Hil.
• Casearia guianensis Urb.
• Casearia kaalaensis
• Casearia lasiophylla
• Casearia macrocarpa
• Casearia mannii
• Casearia mauritiana
• Casearia megacarpa
• Casearia mexiae
• Casearia obliqua Spreng.
• Casearia rufens Camb.
• Casearia pauciflora Cambess.
• Casearia quinduensis (extinct)
• Casearia sylvestris Schwartz^{[verification needed]}
• Casearia tinifolia (extinct)
• Casearia williamsiana
• Casearia wynadensis