Combretum
| Combretum | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Combretum collinum with fruit | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Combretaceae |
| Genus: |
Combretum Loefl. |
| Species | |
|
About 370, see text |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Aetia Adans. |
|
About 370, see text
Aetia Adans.
Bureava Baill.
Cacoucia Aubl.
Calopyxis Tul.
Campylochiton Welw. ex Hiern
Chrysostachys Pohl
Cristaria Sonn.
Embryogonia Blume
Forsgardia Vell.
Gonocarpus Ham. (non Thunb.: preoccupied)
Grislea L.
Hambergera Scop.
Physopodium Desv.
Poivrea Comm. ex Thouars
Schousboea Willd.
Seguiera Rchb. ex Oliv.
Sheadendron G.Bertol.
Combretum, the bushwillows or combretums, make up the type genus of the family Combretaceae. The genus comprises about 370 species of trees and shrubs, roughly 300 of which are native to tropical and southern Africa, about 5 to Madagascar, some 25 to tropical Asia and approximately 40 to tropical America. The genus is absent from Australia. Though somewhat reminiscent of willows (Salix) in their habitus, they are not particularly close relatives of these.
Bushwillow trees often are important plants in their habitat. Savannahs in Africa, in particular those growing on granitic soils, are often dominated by Combretum and its close relative Terminalia. For example, C. apiculatum is a notable tree in the Angolan mopane woodlands ecoregion in the Kunene River basin in southern Africa.
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Wikipedia