Micropholis

Micropholis
For the prehistoric amphibian genus, see Micropholis (amphibian). The brittle star genus described as Micropholis has been renamed Microphiopholis.
Micropholis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Sapotaceae
Genus: Micropholis
(Griseb.) Pierre
Species

38, see text
Synonyms

[1]
Crepinodendron Pierre
Meioluma Baill.
Paramicropholis Aubrév. & Pellegr.
Platyluma Baill.
Sprucella Pierre (non Steph.: preoccupied)
Stephanoluma Baill.

Micropholis is flowering plant genus in the family Sapotaceae, containing 38 species. These trees occur mainly in tropical South America, and most locally known as "cafetos", literally meaning "coffee plants". But while both Micropholis and the coffeeplant genus Coffea are asterids, the present genus is part of the Ericales – a quite basal asterid lineage –, while Coffea belongs to the more advanced Gentianales.

They are valued for their wood, which is used as timber, for construction and as firewood; many species are threatened by overexploitation and habitat destruction. Also, they are often used as part of catuaba, a decoction from various tree's bark claimed to have aphrodisiac and stimulant properties.

Caimitillo verde (M. garciniifolia) is an important food source of the nearly-extinct Puerto Rican Amazon (Amazona vittata).

List of species

As of 2001, the following species were considered valid:[1]

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b Govaerts et al. (2001)

References

  • Govaerts, R.; Harvey, Y.; Jessup, L.; Pennington, T.D. & Vink, W. (2001): World Checklist of Sapotaceae – Micropholis. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2008-DEC-24.


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