Kingdom Plantae Family Lauraceae Higher classification Lauraceae | Order Laurales Scientific name Phoebe Rank Genus | |
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Lower classifications Phoebe zhennan, Phoebe nanmu, Phoebe chekiangensis, Phoebe bournei, Phoebe poilanei | ||
Phoebe is a genus of evergreen trees and shrubs belonging to the Laurel family, Lauraceae. There are approximately 100 species in the genus, distributed in tropical and subtropical Asia and neotropical America. 35 species occur in China. The first description of the genus was of the type species P. lanceolata made in 1836 by Christian Gottfried Daniel Nees von Esenbeck in Systema Laurinarum, p. 98.
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Description
Phoebe species are evergreen shrubs or trees with pinnately veined leaves. The flowers are hermaphrodite, white, small and fragrant, and are grouped in branched terminal inflorescences in the form of panicles. The bracts are all of equal length or the outer ones are slightly shorter than the inner ones. The ovary is oval to spherical. The stigma is capitate or bowl-shaped. The fruits are enveloped by the enlarged bracts. Fruits are usually oval to spherical. The fruit is a berry and has only a single seed that is frequently dispersed by birds.
Distribution
100 species of Phoebe are currently reported in Asia, with 27 species endemic to China.
Ecology
The fruits of the genus are fleshy berries.