Craterostigma

{{short description|Genus of Linderniaceae plants}}

{{Automatic taxobox

|image = Craterostigma plantagineum, habitus, Borakalalo-suid, a.jpg

|image_caption = Craterostigma plantagineum

|display_parents = 2

|taxon = Craterostigma

|authority = Hochst.Flora 24: 668 (1841)

|subdivision_ranks = Species

|subdivision = See text

|synonyms =

• Dunalia R.Br.
• Mitranthus Hochst.
• Strigina Engl.

|synonyms_ref ={{cite web |url=http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:37553-1#synonyms |title=Craterostigma Hochst. |author= |date=2017 |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date=16 July 2020 }}

}}

Craterostigma is a genus of shrub-like flowering plants in the family Linderniaceae, found in Africa, Madagascar, (island of) Socotra, the Arabian Peninsula, the Indian Subcontinent, Sri Lanka, China, Southeast Asia and Java. The best studied species is the resurrection plant Craterostigma plantagineum, known for its unique drought tolerance.{{cite journal |doi=10.3389/fpls.2018.00543 |title=Plant Life in Extreme Environments: How do You Improve Drought Tolerance? |year=2018 |last1=Bechtold |first1=Ulrike |journal=Frontiers in Plant Science |volume=9 |page=543 |pmid=29868044 |pmc=5962824 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2018FrPS....9..543B }}{{cite journal |doi=10.1104/pp.111.4.1043 |title=Molecular Characterization of the Rehydration Process in the Resurrection Plant Craterostigma plantagineum |year=1996 |last1=Bernacchia |first1=G. |last2=Salamini |first2=F. |last3=Bartels |first3=D. |s2cid=23586303 |journal=Plant Physiology |volume=111 |issue=4 |pages=1043–1050 |pmid=12226346 |pmc=160978 |doi-access=free }}

The word 'craterostigma' comes from two Greek words, krateros meaning cup-shaped and stigma, part of the female reproductive part of a flower.Gwithie Kirby {{google books|ew1bDwAAQBAJ|Wild Flowers of Southeast Botswana (2013)|page=325}}