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Plagianthus facts for kids

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Plagianthus
Plagianthus divaricatus.jpg
Plagianthus divaricatus, illustration with analysis by William Jackson Hooker
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Subfamily: Malvoideae
Tribe: Malveae
Genus: Plagianthus
J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.
Type species
Plagianthus divaricatus
J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.
Species
Synonyms
  • Blepharanthemum Klotzsch
  • Philippodendron Endl.
  • Philippodendrum Poit.
  • Wrenciala A.Gray

Plagianthus is a genus of flowering plants confined to New Zealand and the Chatham Islands. The familial placement of the genus was controversial for many years, but modern genetic studies show it definitely belongs in the Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae. The name means "slanted flowers".

Description

The type species P. divaricatus is a divaricate shrub which grows at the edges of salt marshes. The other species, P. regius is a tree which in juvenile stage may be divaricate (subsp. regius) or not (subsp. chathamica).

These are the only species recognized currently. In the past, species from related genera such as Hoheria (New Zealand), Asterotrichion, Lawrencia and Gynatrix (Australia) were sometimes assigned to the genus. Instead, all these genera are now grouped in an informal "Plagianthus alliance".

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Plagianthus para niños

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