Reynoldsia (plant)

Reynoldsia is a formerly recognised genus of plants in the ivy family, Araliaceae. In 2003, Kew Gardens published a checklist for Araliaceae, in which eight species were recognized for Reynoldsia: four from Samoa, two from Tahiti, one from the Marquesas, and one from Hawaii.[1] In 2010, a phylogenetic comparison of DNA data showed that Reynoldsia was polyphyletic, consisting of two groups that are not each other's closest relatives.[2] In a companion paper, three of the species were "sunk" into synonymy with others, reducing the number of species to five.[3] All species that were formerly in Reynoldsia are now in Polyscias subgenus Tetraplasandra, a subgenus of 21 species indigenous to Malesia and the Pacific islands.[3]

Reynoldsia was a genus of shrubs to medium-sized trees, mostly of dry habitats, especially the leeward sides of tropical Pacific islands. The leaves are imparipinnate, and alternate. The leaf margin is never completely entire, but varies from obscurely to patently dentate.

William R. Philipson [es] considered Reynoldsia to be hard to distinguish from Tetraplasandra, another defunct genus to which it was closely related.[4] In general, Reynoldsia can be recognized by its toothed leaflets, greater number of ovary cells, and smaller number of stamens.[5]

Polyscias sandwicensis (formerly Reynoldsia sandwicensis) is cultivated, albeit rarely, in Hawaii.[6] Instructions for its cultivation are available.[7]

  1. ^ David G. Frodin and Rafaël Govaerts. 2003. World Checklist and Bibliography of Araliaceae. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ISBN 978-1-84246-048-1. (See External links below).
  2. ^ Gregory M. Plunkett and Porter P. Lowry II. 2010. "Paraphyly and polyphyly in Polyscias sensu lato: molecular evidence and the case for recircumscribing the "pinnate genera" of Araliaceae". Plant Diversity and Evolution (formerly Botanische Jahrbucher) 128(1-2):23-54. doi:10.1127/1869-6155/2010/0128-0002.
  3. ^ a b Porter P. Lowry II and Gregory M. Plunkett. 2010. "Recircumscription of Polyscias (Araliaceae) to include six related genera, with a new infrageneric classification and a synopsis of species". Plant Diversity and Evolution (formerly Botanische Jahrbucher) 128(1-2):55-84. doi:10.1127/1869-6155/2010/0128-0003. (See External links below).
  4. ^ William R. Philipson. 1970. "A redefinition of Gastonia and related genera (Araliaceae)". Blumea 18(2):497-505.
  5. ^ Porter P. Lowry II. 1990. "Araliaceae", pages 224-237. In: Warren L. Wagner, Derral R. Herbst, and Sy H. Sohmer. Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii, Revised Edition, 1999. Bishop Museum Press: Hololulu
  6. ^ John L. Culliney and Bruce P. Koebele. 1999. A Native Hawaiian Garden. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-2176-0.
  7. ^ Kerin E. Lilleeng-Rosenberger. 2005. Growing Hawaiʻi's Native Plants. Mutual Publishing. ISBN 978-1-56647-716-1