Malpighia

Malpighia
Malpighia emarginata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Malpighiales
Family:	Malpighiaceae
Genus:	Malpighia L. (1753)
Type species
Malpighia glabra L.[2]
Species[1]
108; see text
Synonyms[1]
Rudolphia Medik. (1787)

Malpighia is a genus of flowering plants in the nance family, Malpighiaceae. It contains 108 species of shrubs or small trees, all of which are native to the American tropics, ranging from Texas through Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean to Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador.[1][3] The generic name honours Marcello Malpighi, a 17th-century Italian physician and botanist.[4] The species grow to 1–6 m (3.3–19.7 ft) tall, with a dense, often thorny crown. The leaves are evergreen, simple, 0.5–15 cm (0.20–5.91 in) long, with an entire or serrated margin. The flowers are solitary or in umbels of two to several together, each flower 1–2 cm (0.39–0.79 in) diameter, with five white, pink, red, or purple petals. The fruit is a red, orange, or purple drupe, containing two or three hard seeds. M. emarginata, the acerola, is cultivated for its sweet and juicy fruits, which are very rich in vitamin C.[5]

Selected species

108 species are accepted.[1] Selected species include:

• Malpighia aquifolia L.
• Malpighia cauliflora Proctor & Vivaldi (Jamaica)
• Malpighia coccigera L. – Singapore holly (Caribbean)[6]
• Malpighia cubensis Kunth – palo bronco de hoja pequeña (Cuba)[7]
• Malpighia emarginata DC. – Barbados cherry, acerola (southern Texas and Florida, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, northern South America.)
• Malpighia fucata Ker Gawl. (Puerto Rico)
• Malpighia glabra L.
• Malpighia harrisii Small (Jamaica)
• Malpighia mexicana A.Juss.
• Malpighia obtusifolia Proctor (Jamaica)
• Malpighia polytricha A.Juss.
• Malpighia proctorii Vivaldi (Jamaica)
• Malpighia setosa Spreng. – bristly stingingbush (The Bahamas, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico)
• Malpighia suberosa Small
• Malpighia urens L. – cowhage (Caribbean)[7][8][9]

Formerly placed here

• Bunchosia argentea (Jacq.) DC. (as M. argentea Jacq.)
• Bunchosia armeniaca (Cav.) DC. (as M. armeniaca Cav.
• Bunchosia glandulifera (Jacq.) Kunth (as M. glandulifera Jacq.)
• Bunchosia glandulosa (Cav.) DC. (as M. glandulosa Cav.)
• Byrsonima altissima (Aubl.) DC. (as M. altissima Aubl.)
• Byrsonima crassifolia (L.) Kunth (as M. crassifolia L.)
• Byrsonima densa (Poir.) DC. (as M. densa Poir.)
• Byrsonima spicata (Cav.) DC. (as M. spicata Cav.)
• Heteropterys multiflora (DC.) Hochr. (as M. reticulata Poir.)[9]

References

1. Malpighia Plum. ex L. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
2. "Malpighia L." TROPICOS. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
3. Janick, J.; R. E. Paull (2008). The Encyclopedia of Fruit & Nuts. CABI. p. 462. ISBN 978-0-85199-638-7.
4. Quattrocchi, Umberto (2000). CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology. Vol. 3. CRC Press. p. 1601. ISBN 978-0-8493-2673-8.
5. Johnson, P. D. (2003). "Acerola (Malpighia glabra L., M. punicifolia M. emarginata DC.) Agriculture, Production, and Nutrition". In A. P. Simopoulos; C. Gopalan (eds.). Plants in Human Health and Nutrition Policy. Vol. 91. Karger Publishers. pp. 63–74. ISBN 978-3-8055-7554-6.
6. "Malpighia". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
7. Grandtner, M. M. (2005). Elsevier's Dictionary of Trees: With Names in Latin, English, French, Spanish and Other Languages. Vol. 1. Elsevier. pp. 507–509. ISBN 978-0-444-51784-5.
8. "Subordinate Taxa for Malpighia L." TROPICOS. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
9. "Species Records of Malpighia". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2010-06-30.