Alyxia

Alyxia
Alyxia buxifolia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily: Rauvolfioideae
Tribe: Alyxieae
Subtribe: Alyxiinae
Genus: Alyxia
R.Br.[1]
Species

See text

Synonyms[1]
  • Alexia Wight
  • Discalyxia Markgr.
  • Gynopogon J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.
  • Paralstonia Baill.
  • Pulassarium Rumph. ex Kuntze
Category:Articles with 'species' microformats

Alyxia is a genus of flowering plants in the family, Apocynaceae. It contains at presentCategory:All articles with vague or ambiguous timeCategory:Vague or ambiguous time from December 2024[when?] 106 species, but Alyxia stellata and A. tisserantii are very variable, might be cryptic species complexes, and are need of further study. It consists of shrubby, climbing or scrambling plants. This genus occurs in China, the Himalayas, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Caledonia and the Pacific Islands. There are 14 species in Australia, 21 in New Caledonia and 7 in the other Pacific Islands, including Hawaiʻi.[2]Category:All articles with incomplete citationsCategory:Articles with incomplete citations from December 2024[full citation needed]

The leaves are opposite or in whorls of three to seven. There are colleters (groups or tufts of mucilaginous secretory hairs) present in the leaf axils. The inflorescence is axillary or terminal with solitary flowers or simple cymes. Flowers consist of five petals and five sepals. The flowers have a slender tube which expands abruptly. The stamens have short filaments and are inserted in the upper half of the corolla. The fruit is a pair of drupes, originating from each flower.[2]Category:All articles with incomplete citationsCategory:Articles with incomplete citations from December 2024[full citation needed]

Dysentery bush (A. buxifolia) is used in herbalism and was made into a patented remedy by Albert Aspinall. Maile (A. oliviformis), endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, has sweet-smelling leaves and is much used for lei; formerly it was reserved for aliʻi (nobility), but today it can be used by anyone and is a popular wedding decoration on the islands. Maile also provides food for Thyrocopa caterpillars and weevils of the genus Proterhinus. Alyxia spp. are also used in Jamu.Category:All articles with unsourced statementsCategory:Articles with unsourced statements from December 2024[citation needed]

Species

Chain Fruit (Alyxia ruscifolia)

As of March 2026Category:Articles containing potentially dated statements from March 2026Category:All articles containing potentially dated statements, Plants of the World Online accepts the following 117 species:[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Alyxia R.Br". Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  2. 1 2 Middleton (2000, 2001)
Category:Alyxia#%20 Category:Apocynaceae genera
Category:All articles containing potentially dated statements Category:All articles with incomplete citations Category:All articles with unsourced statements Category:All articles with vague or ambiguous time Category:Alyxia Category:Apocynaceae genera Category:Articles containing potentially dated statements from March 2026 Category:Articles with 'species' microformats Category:Articles with incomplete citations from December 2024 Category:Articles with short description Category:Articles with unsourced statements from December 2024 Category:Commons category link from Wikidata Category:Short description is different from Wikidata Category:Taxonbars with 25–29 taxon IDs Category:Vague or ambiguous time from December 2024