Abatia

? Abatia
Plant Info
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Malpighiales Family: Salicaceae Genus: Abatia Ruiz & Pav.
Species
See text.

Abatia (syn. Raleighia Gardner) is a genus of about nine species of Central and South American trees in the willow family Salicaceae (following the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification). Previously it was treated in the family Flacourtiaceae, or tribe Abatieae of the family Passifloraceae (Lemke 1988) or Samydaceae by G. Bentham & J.D. Hooker and Hutchinson.

Abatia has opposite leaves with very small stipules and marginal glands at the base of the blade of the leaf. The valvate (meeting at the edges without overlapping) perianth (sepal and petal together) members are closely joined at the base. They bear many filamentous processes.

Uses

The leaves of Abatia rugosa Ruiz & Pav. are source of black dye in Peru.

Species

• Abatia americana Eichl.
• Abatia microphylla Taub.
• Abatia parviflora Ruiz & Pav. - Smallflower Abatia. Costa Rica; Colombia; Ecuador; Peru.
• Abatia rugosa Ruiz & Pav.
• Abatia tomentosa Mart. ex Eichl.

References

• Bernhard, A. 1999. Flower structure, development, and systematics in Passifloraceae and in Abatia (Flacourtiaceae). Int. J. Plant Sci. 160: 135–150, illus.
• Sleumer, H.O.(1980). Flacourtiaceae.Flora Neotropica 22:55–57. [monographic revision of the genus]
• Lemke, D. E.(1988).A synopsis of Flacourtiaceae.Aliso 12:28-43. [Tribe Abatieae transferred from Flacourtiaceae to Passifloraceae]