Malpighia

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Malpighia
M. emarginata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Malpighiaceae
Genus: Malpighia
L.
Type species
Malpighia glabra
L.[1]
Species

About 45; see text

Malpighia is a genus of flowering plants in the nance family, Malpighiaceae. It contains about 45 species of shrubs or small trees, all of which are native to the American tropics.[2] The generic name honours Marcello Malpighi, a 17th century Italian physician and botanist.[3] The species grow to 1–6 m (3.3–20 ft) tall, with a dense, often thorny crown. The leaves are evergreen, simple, 0.5–15 cm (0.20–5.9 in) long, with an entire or serrated margin. The flowers are solitary or in umbels of two to several together, each flower 1–2 cm (0.39–0.79 in) diameter, with five white, pink, red, or purple petals. The fruit is a red, orange or purple drupe, containing 2-3 hard seeds. M. emarginata is cultivated for its sweet and juicy fruits, which are very rich in vitamin C.[4]

[edit] Selected species

[edit] Formerly placed here

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Malpighia L.". TROPICOS. Missouri Botanical Garden. http://tropicos.org/Name/40012893. Retrieved 2009-10-17. 
  2. ^ Janick, Jules; Robert E. Paull (2008). The Encyclopedia of Fruit & Nuts. CABI. p. 462. ISBN 9780851996387. http://books.google.com/books?id=cjHCoMQNkcgC. 
  3. ^ Quattrocchi, Umberto (2000). CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology. 3. p. 1601. ISBN 9780849326738. http://books.google.com/books?id=kaN-hLL-3qEC. 
  4. ^ Johnson, Paul D. (2003). "Acerola (Malpighia glabra L., M. punicifolia M. emarginata DC.) Agriculture, Production, and Nutrition". In Artemis P. Simopoulos; C. Gopalan. Plants in Human Health and Nutrition Policy. 91. Karger Publishers. pp. 63–74. ISBN 9783805575546. http://books.google.com/books?id=ZVSh_u7KxQIC&source=gbs_navlinks_s. 
  5. ^ "Malpighia". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=29278. Retrieved 31 March 2010. 
  6. ^ a b Grandtner, Miroslav M. (2005). Elsevier's Dictionary of Trees: With Names in Latin, English, French, Spanish and Other Languages. 1. Elsevier. pp. 507–509. ISBN 9780444517845. http://books.google.com/books?id=yjc5ZYWtkNAC&source=gbs_navlinks_s. 
  7. ^ "Subordinate Taxa for Malpighia L.". TROPICOS. Missouri Botanical Garden. http://tropicos.org/NameSubordinateTaxa.aspx?nameid=40012893. Retrieved 2009-10-17. 
  8. ^ a b "Species Records of Malpighia". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?7212. Retrieved 2010-06-30. 
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