Vangueria
| Vangueria | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Vangueria parvifolia Sond. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Rubiaceae |
| Subfamily: | Ixoroideae |
| Tribe: | Vanguerieae |
| Genus: |
Vangueria Juss. |
| Type species | |
|
Vangueria madagascariensis J.F.Gmel. |
|
| Synonyms | |
Vangueria is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. The genus is named for Voa vanguer, as V. madagascariensis is known in Malagasy.
The genus contains over 50 species distributed in Africa south of the Sahara with one species occurring in Madagascar (V. madagascariensis). The centre of diversity is in East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania) and they are rare in West Africa.
Endophytic bacteria are housed in the intercellular space of the leaf mesophyll tissue. The presence of these bacteria can only be microscopically ascertained. The bacteria are identified as Burkholderia, which is a genus that is also found in the leaves of other Rubiaceae species. The hypothesis is that these endophytic bacteria provide chemical protection against insect herbivory.
Several Vangueria species - V. latifolia, V. pygmaea, V. thamnus - are known to cause gousiekte, a cardiotoxicosis of ruminants characterised by heart failure four to eight weeks after ingestion of certain rubiaceous plants.
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Wikipedia