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Leea

{{Short description|Genus of plants in the family Vitaceae}}

{{automatic taxobox

| image = Leea sp Blanco1.60.jpg

| image_caption = L. sambucina {{au|Blanco}}, now known
as L. rubra {{au|Blume}}

| parent_authority = Burmeist.

| taxon = Leea

| authority = D.Royen{{R|POWO}}

| subdivision_ranks = Species

| subdivision = see text

}}

Leea (Tagalog: Talyantan) is a genus of plants in the family Vitaceae, subfamily Leeoideae, that are native to parts of central Africa, tropical Asia, Australia and Melanesia.{{R|POWO}} It was previously placed in its own family, Leeaceae, based on morphological differences between it and other Vitaceae genera. These differences include ovule number per locule (two in Vitaceae and one in Leeaceae), carpel number (two in Vitaceae and three in Leeaceae), and the absence or presence of a staminoidal tube (present in Leeaceae) and floral disc (present in Vitaceae). Pollen structure has also been examined for taxonomic demarcation, though studies{{which|date=March 2024}} have concluded that the pollen of Leeaceae and Vitaceae suggests the families should remain separate while other studies{{which|date=March 2024}} conclude that Leea should be included in Vitaceae.{{cite journal |last1=Gerrath |first1=Jean M. |last2=Lacroix |first2=Christian R. |last3=Posluszny |first3=Usher |title=The Developmental Morphology of Leea guineensis. II. Floral Development |journal=Botanical Gazette |jstor=2995458 |date=1990 |volume=151 |issue=2 |page=210|doi=10.1086/337820 |s2cid=84559410 }}

The genus was named by Linnaeus after James Lee, the Scottish nurseryman based in Hammersmith, London who introduced many new plant discoveries to England at the end of the 18th century.{{cite book | author= Sue Shephard | title=Seeds of Fortune - A Gardening Dynasty| publisher=Bloomsbury | year=2003|pages=11| isbn=0-7475-6066-8}}

Ecology

Leea flowers are visited by a variety of potential insect pollinators, including flies, wasps, bees, butterflies, and beetles. Some species may have evolved synchronized dichogamy as a mechanism to prevent self pollination.{{cite journal |last1=Molina |first1=Jeanmaire |title=Floral biology of Philippine morphospecies of the grape relative Leea (Leeaceae) |journal=Plant Species Biology |date=2009 |volume=24 |issue=1 |pages=53–60 |doi=10.1111/j.1442-1984.2009.00238.x |url=https://esj-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1442-1984.2009.00238.x |access-date=13 July 2023 |url-access=subscription}} Extrafloral nectaries have been reported in this genus on the leaf petioles or more generally on the "stem".{{cite journal |date=2012-10-18 |first1=Marjorie G. |last1=Weber |first2=Kathleen H. |last2=Keeler |title=The phylogenetic distribution of extrafloral nectaries in plants |pages=1251–1261 |doi=10.1093/aob/mcs225 |journal=Annals of Botany |eissn=1095-8290 |volume=111 |issue=6|pmc=3662505 }}

Image:Leea indica fruit and foliage.jpg|L. indica fruit and foliage.

Species

Plants of the World Online accepts the following 45 species in this genus {{As of|2023|07|12|lc=y}}.{{R|POWO}}

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References

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite web |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:331705-2 |title=Leea D.Royen |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date=13 July 2023}}

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External links

  • {{Commons category-inline}}
  • {{Wikispecies-inline}}

{{AfricanPlants|Leea}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q2669468}}

Category:Vitaceae genera