Scientific name Exostema Rank Genus | Clade Angiosperms | |
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Lower classifications Exostema orbiculatum, Exostema brachycarpum, Exostema triflorum | ||
What does exostema mean
Exostema is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It consists of trees and shrubs, endemic to the neotropics, with most of the species occurring in the West Indies.
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Description
Exostema is a genus of neotropical trees and shrubs. The flowers have a slender corolla tube with recurved corolla lobes. The stamens are inserted near the base of the corolla tube and exserted well beyond its mouth. The anthers are long and basifixed.
Systematics
The type species for the genus is Exostema caribaeum. It is a tree of Central America and the Caribbean. Its lumber is of limited use.
Exostema was first named by Christiaan Hendrik Persoon as a subgenus of Cinchona. It was first validly published as a genus by Aimé Bonpland in 1807. The generic name is derived from the Ancient Greek words, exo, meaning "outside", and stema, "stamen".
Exostema is probably polyphyletic.