Combretum

"Schousboea" redirects here. As described by H.C.F. Schumacher and Peter Thonning, this is a synonym of Alchornea.

Combretum
Combretum collinum with fruit
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Myrtales
Family:	Combretaceae
Genus:	Combretum Loefl.
Species
About 370, see text
Synonyms
Aetia Adans. Bureava Baill. Cacoucia Aubl. Calopyxis Tul. Campylochiton Welw. ex Hiern Chrysostachys Pohl Cristaria Sonn. Embryogonia Blume Forsgardia Vell. Gonocarpus Ham. (non Thunb.: preoccupied) Grislea L. Hambergera Scop. Physopodium Desv. Poivrea Comm. ex Thouars Schousboea Willd. Seguiera Rchb. ex Oliv. Sheadendron G.Bertol.

The bushwillows or combretums, Combretum, make up the type genus of the family Combretaceae. The genus comprises about 370 species of trees and shrubs, roughly 300 of which are native to tropical and southern Africa, about 5 to Madagascar, some 25 to tropical Asia and approximately 40 to tropical America. The genus is absent from Australia. Though somewhat reminiscent of willows (Salix) in their habitus, they are not particularly close relatives of these.

Ecology

Combretum albidum in Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India

Bushwillow trees often are important plants in their habitat. Savannahs in Africa, in particular those growing on granitic soils, are often dominated by Combretum and its close relative Terminalia. Other species of this genus are a major component of Southwestern Amazonian moist forests. This genus contains several species that are pollinated by mammals other than bats, which is quite rare indeed.^[1] But most species are more conventionally pollinated by insects or birds.

Typhlodromus combretum, a mite of the family Phytoseiidae, was discovered on a bushwillow plant and is named after this genus. Other herbivores that eat Combretum foliage include the caterpillars of the Brown Awl (Badamia exclamationis) which is found on C. albidum, C. latifolium and C. ovalifolium; those of the Orange-tailed Awl (Bibasis sena) are recorded from C. extensum and C. latifolium.

Use by humans

Combretum aculeatum inflorescence

Combretum paniculatum

Several species are used in African or Indian traditional medicine. Combretastatins, found in the South African Bushwillow (C. caffrum) and presumably other species of this genus, are under study for the therapy of tumors, including anaplastic thyroid cancer for which there is little or no approved treatment at present. At least C. molle is also recorded to contain large quantities of punicalagins, the antioxidants well-known from the Pomegranate (Punica granatum), a somewhat related plant. These chemicals, too, are suspected to suppress cancer growth.

The famous botanist George Don studied this genus extensively. The Luvuvhu River in southern Africa was named after the River Bushwillow (C. erythrophyllum), locally known as muvuvhu.

Selected species

Combretum aculeatum Combretum albidum Combretum albopunctatum Suesseng. Combretum apiculatum Sond. Combretum apiculatum ssp. apiculatum Combretum apiculatum var. leutweinii (Schinz) Exell Combretum bracteosum (Hochst.) Brandis Combretum caffrum – South African Bushwillow Combretum celastroides Welw. ex Laws. Combretum coccineum Combretum collinum Fresen. Combretum collinum ssp. gazense (Swynn. & Bak.f.) Okafor Combretum collinum ssp. ondongense (Engl. & Diels) Okafor Combretum collinum ssp. suluense (Engl. & Diels) Okafor Combretum collinum ssp. taborense (Engl.) Okafor Combretum comosum Combretum decandrum Combretum dolchipeles Combretum edwardsii – Forest Climbing Bushwillow, Natal Combretum Combretum elaeagnoides Klotzsch Combretum elegans Camb. Combretum engleri Schinz Combretum erythrophyllum (Burch.) Sond. – River Bushwillow, muvuvhu (Venda) Combretum extensum Combretum flagrocarpum Combretum fragrans F.Hoffm. Combretum fruticosum (Loefl.) Stuntz Combretum ghasalense Combretum grandiflorum Combretum gueinzii Sond. Combretum hereroense Schinz

Combretum holstii Engl. Combretum imberbe – Leadwood Tree Combretum kraussii Hochst. Combretum latifolium Combretum lanceolatum Pohl. Combretum laxum Combretum leprosum Mart. Combretum llewelynii Combretum micranthum – Kinkeliba Combretum moggii Exell Combretum molle R.Br. ex G.Don Combretum monetaria Mart. Combretum mossambicense Combretum nelsonii Duemmer Combretum obovatum F.Hoffm. Combretum ovalifolium Combretum padoides – Thicket Bushwillow Combretum paniculatum Vent. (= C. microphyllum) Combretum petrophilum Retief Combretum pisoniiflorum (Klotzsch) Engl. Combretum platypterum Combretum psidioides Welw. Combretum psidioides ssp. dinteri (Schinz) Engl. Combretum psidioides ssp. psidioides Combretum quadrangulare Combretum racemosum Combretum rupicola Combretum schumannii Engl. Combretum trifoliatum Combretum vendae Van Wyk Combretum wattii Exell Combretum woodii Duemmer Combretum zeyheri Sond.

Footnotes

1. ^ Carthewa & Goldingay (1997)

References

• Carthewa, S.M. & Goldingay, R.L. (1997): Non-flying mammals as pollinators. Trends Ecol. Evol. 12(3): 104–108. doi:10.1016/S0169-5347(96)10067-7 (HTML abstract)

Gallery

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  Combretum albidum in Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India.

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  Combretum albidum in Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India.

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  Combretum albidum flowers in Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India.

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  Combretum albidum flowers in Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India.

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  Combretum albidum flowers in Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh, India.

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  Combretum albidum fruits in Shamirpet, Rangareddy district, Andhra Pradesh, India.

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  Combretum albidum fruits in Shamirpet, Rangareddy district, Andhra Pradesh, India.