Leptopus | |
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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 | |
Synonyms[1][2] | |
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]
moved to other genera: Chorisandrachne Euphorbia Notoleptopus Phyllanthopsis