Leuenbergeria
| Leuenbergeria | |
|---|---|
| File:Leuenbergeria zinniiflora.jpg | |
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Family | Cactaceae |
| Subfamily | Leuenbergerioideae |
| Tribe | |
| SubTribe | |
| Genus | Leuenbergeria |
| Species | |
| Notes | Taxonomy follows Joël Lodé (2015). The genus represents the "Northern clade" formerly included in Pereskia. |
Etymology
The genus is named in honour of Beat Ernst Leuenberger (1946–2010), Swiss botanist and specialist of Pereskioideae.
Description
Leuenbergeria is a genus of shrubby to tree-like cacti with well-developed leaves and woody stems.
- Habit: Branched shrubs or small trees with robust woody stems.
- Leaves: Broad, ovate to elongated, fleshy, deciduous, with a distinct central vein.
- Areoles: Bearing spines and often hairs.
- Stems: Produce bark (periderm) early and lack stomata, unlike Pereskia.
- Flowers: Diurnal, large, rotate, solitary, usually pink, red, purple, or yellow; pollinated by insects or hummingbirds.
- Fruits: Globose to pear-shaped, fleshy, edible.
- Seeds: Large, flattened, black and shiny.
Habitat
The genus occurs in savannas, dry forests, and disturbed habitats, including rocky slopes and seasonally flooded soils, from sea level up to about 920 m. Plants often blend into surrounding vegetation and are sometimes used as hedges.
Distribution
- Americas:
Antilles (Bonaire), Brazil (Bahia, Minas Gerais), Colombia (Antioquía, Bolívar, Magdalena), Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico (Oaxaca), Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Venezuela.
Taxonomy
The genus Leuenbergeria was established by Joël Lodé (2013) to accommodate the "Northern" clade of species formerly included in Pereskia.
Molecular studies have demonstrated that Pereskia in a broad sense is paraphyletic. Two distinct evolutionary lineages can be recognized:
- a southern clade (retained as Pereskia sensu stricto)
- a northern clade (recognized as Leuenbergeria)
The genus is considered distinct based on molecular, anatomical, and ecological differences.
Species
Following the classification of Joël Lodé (2015).
- Leuenbergeria aureiflora
- Leuenbergeria bleo
- Leuenbergeria guamacho
- Leuenbergeria lychnidiflora
- Leuenbergeria marcanoi
- Leuenbergeria portulacifolia
- Leuenbergeria quisqueyana
- Leuenbergeria zinniiflora
Notes
- Represents one of the earliest-diverging lineages of the cactus family.
- Distinguished from Pereskia by early bark formation and absence of stomata on stems.
- The separation of Leuenbergeria reflects modern phylogenetic understanding of basal cacti.
