Mostuea

Mostuea
Mostuea brunonis (herbarium specimen)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Gelsemiaceae
Genus: Mostuea
Didr.
Synonyms[1]
  • Coinochlamys T.Anderson ex Benth. & Hook.f.
  • Leptocladus Oliv.

Mostuea is one of only three genera of flowering plants belonging to the small family Gelsemiaceae (the other two being Gelsemium and Pteleocarpa). Mostuea and Gelsemium were formerly placed in the family Loganiaceae, while Pteleocarpa was placed variously in the families Icacinaceae, Cardiopteridaceae, Boraginaceae, and others, before the description of the Gelsemiaceae was altered formally to accommodate it in 2014.[2][3] Mostuea is native to Africa and South America.[1] Anecdotal evidence suggests that the roots of certain Mostuea species are used as ritual aphrodisiacs and entheogens in West Tropical Africa.[4]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Kew POWO was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Peter F. Stevens (2001 onwards). "Gelsemiaceae" At: Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. At: Botanical Databases At: Missouri Botanical Garden Website.
  3. ^ Nancy F. Refulio-Rodriguez and Richard G. Olmstead. 2014. "Phylogeny of Lamiidae". American Journal of Botany 101(2):287-299. doi:10.3732/ajb.1300394.
  4. ^ De Smet, P.A.G.M. Some ethnopharmacological notes on African hallucinogens Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Volume 50, Issue 3, March 1996, Pages 141-146.