Genus of flowering plants
Ayenia is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It includes 216 species[2] of subshrubs, shrubs, small trees, and lianas.[3] They are native to the tropical Americas and southwestern United States, tropical Africa, and tropical Asia.[2]
Description
Ayenia includes subshrubs, shrubs, small trees, and lianas. The genus is distinguished by its tiny yet extraordinarily complex flowers.[3]
Ecology
Species of Ayenia grow in diverse habitats, from open areas in dry and seasonally-dry regions to humid forests, river banks, and from lowlands to high elevations.[3]
Byttneria species are host plants to insects such as beetles of the genus Lonchophorellus.[4]
Taxonomy
Ayenia, Byttneria, and Rayleya were formerly described as separate genera, with Ayenia having a Neotropical distribution, Byttneria as a Pantropical genus, and Rayleya as a monotypic genus with a single Brazilian species, Rayleya bahiensis. A phylogenetic analysis found that Byttneria was paraphyletic and Ayenia was nested within it, and Rayleya was a sister clade to the others.[3] In 2018 Christenhusz and Byng transferred the Byttneria and Rayleya names to Ayenia, which had nomenclatural priority.[5]
Selected species
216 species are currently accepted.[2] Selected species include:
- Ayenia acuminata Rusby
- Ayenia aliculata Cristóbal
- Ayenia angustifolia A.St.-Hil. & Naudin
- Ayenia ardua Cristóbal – Wingstem ayenia
- Ayenia asplundii (Cristóbal) Christenh. & Byng – Ecuador and Peru
- Ayenia bahiensis (Cristóbal) Christenh. & Byng
- Ayenia blanchetiana K.Schum.
- Ayenia boliviana Rusby
- Ayenia cajalbanensis Alain
- Ayenia compacta Rose – California ayenia
- Ayenia cordobensis (Hieron.) Hieron.
- Ayenia cuatrecasasii Cristóbal
- Ayenia dentata Brandegee
- Ayenia elegans (Ridl.) ined.
- Ayenia erecta Mart. ex K.Schum.
- Ayenia euphrasifolia Griseb. – Eyebright ayenia
- Ayenia fasiculata Millsp. ex Standl.
- Ayenia filiformis S.Watson – Trans-Pecos ayenia
- Ayenia flexuosa (Killip) Christenh. & Byng – Ecuador
- Ayenia fruticosa Rose
- Ayenia glabra S.Watson – Smooth ayenia
- Ayenia glabrescens K.Schum.
- Ayenia hirta A.St.-Hil. & Naudin
- Ayenia insulicola Cristóbal – Dwarf ayenia
- Ayenia ivorensis (N.Hallé) Christenh. & Byng
- Ayenia jaliscana S.Watson
|
- Ayenia jaramilloana (Dorr) Christenh. & Byng
- Ayenia latifolia Cristóbal
- Ayenia limitaris Cristóbal – Rio Grande ayenia, Texas ayenia
- Ayenia lingulata Griseb.
- Ayenia loxensis (Cristóbal) Christenh. & Byng
- Ayenia mansfeldiana (Herter) Cristóbal
- Ayenia micrantha Standl.
- Ayenia microphylla A.Gray – Dense ayenia, shrubby ayenia
- Ayenia minytricha (Cristóbal) Christenh. & Byng
- Ayenia noblickii Cristóbal
- Ayenia obtusata (Benth.) Christenh. & Byng
- Ayenia odonellii Cristóbal
- Ayenia ovata Hemsl.
- Ayenia palmeri A.Gray
- Ayenia pilosa Cristóbal – Hairy ayenia
- Ayenia purpusii Brandegee
- Ayenia pusilla L.
- Ayenia schumanniana Kuntze
- Ayenia simulatrix Cristóbal
- Ayenia sparrei (Cristóbal) Christenh. & Byng
- Ayenia tomentosa L.
- Ayenia truncata Rose
- Ayenia velutina Urb.
- Ayenia violacea Urb.
- Ayenia wrightii B.L.Rob.
|