Combretum

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
"Schousboea" redirects here; this is also synonym of Alchornea.

Combretum
Combretum collinum with fruit
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Combretaceae
Genus: Combretum
Loefl.
Species

About 3272 see text

Synonyms[1]
  • Aetia Adans.
  • Bucholzia Stadtm. ex Willemet
  • Bureava Baill.
  • Cacoucia Aubl.
  • Calopyxis Tul.
  • Campylochiton Welw. ex Hiern
  • Campylogyne Welw. ex Hemsl.
  • Chrysostachys Pohl
  • Codonocroton E.Mey. ex Engl. & Diels
  • Cristaria Sonn.
  • Embryogonia Blume
  • Forsgardia Vell.
  • Gonocarpus Ham.
  • Grislea L.
  • Hambergera Scop.
  • Kleinia Crantz
  • Meiostemon Exell & Stace
  • Mekistus Lour. ex Gomes Mach.
  • Physopodium Desv.
  • Poivrea Comm. ex DC.
  • Quisqualis L.
  • Schousboea Willd.
  • Seguiera Rchb. ex Oliv.
  • Sheadendron G.Bertol.
  • Sphalanthus Jack
  • Thiloa Eichler
  • Udani Adans.

Combretum, the bushwillows or combretums, make up the

America. Though somewhat reminiscent of willows (Salix) in their habitus
, they are not particularly close relatives of these.

Ecology

Combretum albidum in Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India

Bushwillow trees often are important plants in their

Kunene River basin in southern Africa.[2]

Other species of this genus are a major component of

pollinated by mammals other than bats, which is quite rare indeed.[3] But most species are more conventionally pollinated by insects or birds.[citation needed
]

Orange-tailed Awl (Bibasis sena) are recorded from C. extensum and C. latifolium.[citation needed
]

Use by humans

Combretum aculeatum inflorescence
Combretum paniculatum
MHNT

Several species are used in

fosbretabulin disodium (combretastatin A4 phosphate), underwent preliminary study for the treatment of anaplastic thyroid cancer,[5] but it was not effective enough to progress to more advanced trials. C. molle is also recorded to contain antioxidants such as punicalagin,[citation needed] which is also found in pomegranates
(Punica granatum), a somewhat related plant.

The

Luvuvhu River in southern Africa was named after the river's bushwillows (C. erythrophyllum
), locally known as muvuvhu.

Species

As of April 2021, there are 272 accepted species of Combretum:[1]

References

  1. ^ a b "Combretum Loefl". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  2. ^ C.Michael Hogan. 2012. Kunene River. Topic ed. P.Saundry. Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the Environment. Washington DC.
  3. PMID 21237993
    .
  4. ^ Boiteau, Pierre (1999). "Calopyxis". Dictionnaire des noms malgaches de végétaux (in French). Vol. I. Editions Alzieu. p. 196.
  5. ^ "Combretastatin A4 However there is the possibility that a modified version of an isomer of aombretastatin-A4 can be rendered effective. After replacing adjacent carbon atoms with nitrogen atoms, using blue light, the isomer can be switched to a form that attacks microtubules of cancer cells. So far this has been tested in vitro with breast cancer cells. Phosphate in Treating Patients With Advanced Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer". clinicaltrials.gov. 10 June 2010.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Combretum.
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