Heterosavia

(Urban) Petra Hoffmann

Brittonia 60: 152. 2008.

Common names: Maidenbush
Etymology: Greek hetero-, other or different from, and genus Savia
Basionym: Savia sect. Heterosavia Urban Symb. Antill. 3: 284. 1902
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 12. Treatment on page 333. Mentioned on page 330, 334.

Shrubs or trees, dioecious, hairy, glabrescent, hairs simple; branching not phyllanthoid. Leaves persistent, alternate, simple, all well developed; stipules persistent; blade margins entire. Inflorescences unisexual, staminate glomes, pistillate flowers solitary. Pedicels: staminate rudimentary, pistillate present. Staminate flowers: sepals 5, distinct; petals 5; nectary extrastaminal, annular, crenate [entire]; stamens 5; filaments distinct or connate basally [to 1/2 length]; connectives not extending beyond anthers; pistillode 3-divided to base or nearly so. Pistillate flowers: sepals persistent, 5, distinct; petals 5; nectary annular, crenate [entire]; pistil 3(–4)-carpellate; styles (3–)4, distinct, 2-fid 1/2 length. Fruits capsules. Seeds 2 per locule, rounded-trigonous; seed coat dry, smooth; caruncle absent.

Distribution

Fla., West Indies (Greater Antilles).

Discussion

Species 4 (1 in the flora).

Molecular phylogenetic analyses have shown that Savia as traditionally recognized is polyphyletic and should be treated as three genera, each assigned to a different tribe (H. Kathriarachchi et al. 2005; P. Hoffmann et al. 2006; Hoffmann 2008). Heterosavia, which includes the species formerly included in the Caribbean Savia sect. Heterosavia, belongs to Phyllantheae Dumortier and is sister to Flueggea.