Heteropyxis

taxobox
name = "Heteropyxis"
regnum = Plantae
unranked_divisio = Angiosperms
unranked_classis = Eudicots
unranked_ordo = Rosids
ordo = Myrtales
familia = Myrtaceae
genus = "Heteropyxis"
subdivision_ranks = species
subdivision = "H. canescens"
"H. dehniae"
"H. natalensis"
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"Heteropyxis" is a genus which includes three species of small evergreen trees. It was previously placed along in family Heteropyxidaceae, but is now placed basally within Myrtaceae. The species of "Heteropyxis" are native to southern Africa.

"H. natalensis", commonly known as Lavender Tree or Laventelboom, ranges from Zimbabwe through Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal of South Africa. It is a slender, upright tree which grows 5-7 meters in height, at forest margins, rocky outcrops, hillsides, and termite mounds. It bears panicles of fragrant flowers, cream to pale yellow in colour, from December to March.

Many classification schemes place "Heteropyxis" within family Myrtaceae. Recent embryological and DNA analyses seem to indicate that "Heteropyxis" and "Psiloxylon", the sole member of family Psiloxylaceae are sister taxa to the Myrtaceae, but diverged before the origin of the common ancestor of the Myrtaceae.

References

* Tobe, Hiroshi and Raven, Peter H. "Embryology and Systematic Position of Heteropyxis (Myrtales)". "American Journal of Botany", Vol. 74, No. 2 (Feb., 1987), pp. 197-208.