Ophiobotrys

Ophiobotrys
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Salicaceae
Subfamily: Samydoideae
Genus: Ophiobotrys
Gilg
Species:
O. zenkeri
Binomial name
Ophiobotrys zenkeri
Gilg
Synonyms[2]
  • Osmelia zenkeri (Gilg) Hallier f.

Ophiobotrys zenkeri is a species of flowering plant in the family Salicaceae.[2][3] It is a tree native to tropical Africa from Ivory Coast to Gabon and is the only member of the genus Ophiobotrys.[4] Formerly classified in the Flacourtiaceae, phylogenetic analyses based on DNA data indicate that this species, along with its close relatives in the Asian genera Osmelia and Pseudosmelia, are better placed in a broadly circumscribed Salicaceae.[5] Ophiobotrys differs from its close relatives in having 5 sepals, 5(-6) stamens, one divided style, and terminal inflorescences.

The wood has several uses, and the species is known by several common names, including uolobo, urogbo, abuana, akwana, and bofan.[4]

  1. ^ IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group & Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) (2023). "Ophiobotrys zenkeri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2023: e.T204715371A204794888. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T204715371A204794888.en. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Ophiobotrys zenkeri Gilg". Plants of the World Online. The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. n.d. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  3. ^ "Ophiobotrys zenkeri Gilg". Catalogue of Life. Species 2000. n.d. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Burkill, H. M. (1985). The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa, vol. 2. Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens. p. 960. ISBN 9780947643010.
  5. ^ Chase, Mark W.; Sue Zmarzty; M. Dolores Lledó; Kenneth J. Wurdack; Susan M. Swensen; Michael F. Fay (2002). "When in doubt, put it in Flacourtiaceae: a molecular phylogenetic analysis based on plastid rbcL DNA sequences". Kew Bulletin. 57 (1): 141–181. Bibcode:2002KewBu..57..141C. doi:10.2307/4110825. JSTOR 4110825.