Leptopus

Leptopus
Leptopus cordifolius
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Malpighiales
Family:	Phyllanthaceae
Subfamily:	Phyllanthoideae
Tribe:	Poranthereae
Genus:	Leptopus Decne. 1836 not Klotzsch & Garcke 1860 (syn of Euphorbia)
Type species
Leptopus cordifolius Decaisne
Synonyms[1][2]
Andrachne (Endlicher) Pojarkova Chorisandrachne Airy Shaw Thelypetalum Gagnep. Arachne (Endl.) Pojark. Archileptopus P.T.Li Andrachne [unranked] Arachne Endlicher

Leptopus, the maidenbushes, are a genus of plants in the family Phyllanthaceae native to southern Asia from the Caucasus east to China and Maluku.[1][2] The plants are monoecious herbs and shrubs with simple, entire leaves and small, green flowers.

Leptopus is one of eight genera in the tribe Poranthereae[3] and comprises 9 species.[4] It is the sister of Actephila. The type species is Leptopus cordifolius.[5] The name is derived from two Greek words, leptos, "thin, slender, or small", and pous, "foot", a reference to slender pedicels.[6] The genus was first described in 1836[7][8] and revised in 2009.[9]

Leptopus fangdingianus had been placed by some authors in a separate genus, Archileptopus, but it was shown in 2007 that recognition of Archileptopus makes Leptopus paraphyletic.[10] Phyllanthopsis phyllanthoides has been placed in Leptopus as well as in Andrachne. In 2007, it was shown to not properly belong to either genus and in 2008 was assigned to a new genus, Phyllanthopsis.[4]

Species[1]

1. Leptopus australis - Hainan, SE Asia
2. Leptopus chinensis - China, Myanmar, Pakistan, Iran, Caucasus
3. Leptopus clarkei - S China, Assam, Myanmar, Vietnam
4. Leptopus cordifolius - Afghanistan, Himalayas
5. Leptopus emicans - Arunachal Pradesh, Myanmar
6. Leptopus fangdingianus - Guangxi
7. Leptopus hainanensis - Hainan
8. Leptopus nepalensis - Nepal
9. Leptopus pachyphyllus - Guangxi
10. Leptopus robinsonii - Vietnam

formerly included[1]

moved to other genera: Chorisandrachne Euphorbia Notoleptopus Phyllanthopsis

1. L. adiantoides - Euphorbia adiantoides
2. L. brasiliensis - Euphorbia hyssopifolia
3. L. decaisnei - Notoleptopus decaisnei
4. L. diplospermus - Chorisandrachne diplosperma
5. L. dominianus - Notoleptopus decaisnei
6. L. hartwegii - Euphorbia adiantoides
7. L. ocymoides - Euphorbia ocymoidea
8. L. orbicularis - Notoleptopus decaisnei
9. L. phyllanthoides - Phyllanthopsis phyllanthoides
10. L. poeppigii - Euphorbia poeppigii
11. L. segoviensis - Euphorbia segoviensis

References

1. Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
2. Flora of China Vol. 11 Page 169 雀舌木属 que she mu shu Leptopus Decaisne in Jacquemont, Voy. Inde. 4(Bot.): 155. 1835.
3. Petra Hoffmann, Hashendra S. Kathriarachchi, and Kenneth J. Wurdack. 2006. "A Phylogenetic Classification of Phyllanthaceae." Kew Bulletin 61(1):37-53.
4. Maria S. Vorontsova and Petra Hoffmann. 2008. "A phylogenetic classification of tribe Poranthereae (Phyllanthaceae)." Kew Bulletin 63(1):41-59.
5. Leptopus In: Index Nominum Genericorum. In: Regnum Vegetabile (see External links below).
6. Umberto Quattrocchi. 2000. CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names volume II. CRC Press: Boca Raton; New York; Washington, DC;, USA. London, UK. ISBN 978-0-8493-2676-9.
7. Decaisne, Joseph. 1836. in Jacquemont, Venceslas Victor, Voyage dans l'Inde 4: 155, pl. 156 in Latin
8. Tropicos, Leptopus Decne.
9. Maria S. Vorontsova and Petra Hoffmann. 2009. "Revision of the genus Leptopus (Phyllanthaceae, Euphorbiaceae sensu lato)". Kew Bulletin 64(4):627-644.
10. Maria S. Vorontsova, Petra Hoffmann, Olivier Maurin, and Mark W. Chase. 2007. "Phylogenetics of tribe Poranthereae (Phyllanthaceae)." American Journal of Botany 94(12):2026-2040.

External links

• Leptopus At:
• Index Nominum Genericorum At:
• References At:
• NMNH Department of Botany