Leptopus

{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}}

{{Automatic taxobox

|image = Leptopus cordifolius (7787495468).jpg

|image_caption = Leptopus cordifolius

|display_parents = 2

|taxon = Leptopus

|authority = Decne. 1836 not Klotzsch & Garcke 1860 (syn of Euphorbia)

|type_species = Leptopus cordifolius

|type_species_authority = Decaisne

|synonyms_ref =

|synonyms = *Andrachne (Endlicher) Pojarkova

• Chorisandrachne Airy Shaw
• Thelypetalum Gagnep.
• Arachne (Endl.) Pojark.
• Archileptopus P.T.Li
• Andrachne [unranked] Arachne Endlicher

}}

Leptopus, the maidenbushes, are a genus of plants in the family Phyllanthaceae native to southern Asia from the Caucasus east to China and Maluku.[http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=111056 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families][http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=118234 Flora of China Vol. 11 Page 169 雀舌木属 que she mu shu Leptopus Decaisne in Jacquemont, Voy. Inde. 4(Bot.): 155. 1835.] The plants are monoecious herbs and shrubs with simple, entire leaves and small, green flowers.

Leptopus is one of eight genera in the tribe PoranthereaePetra Hoffmann, Hashendra S. Kathriarachchi, and Kenneth J. Wurdack. 2006. "A Phylogenetic Classification of Phyllanthaceae." Kew Bulletin 61(1):37-53. and comprises 9 species.Maria S. Vorontsova and Petra Hoffmann. 2008. "A phylogenetic classification of tribe Poranthereae (Phyllanthaceae)." Kew Bulletin 63(1):41-59. It is the sister of Actephila. The type species is Leptopus cordifolius.Leptopus In: Index Nominum Genericorum. In: Regnum Vegetabile (see External links below). The name is derived from two Greek words, leptos, "thin, slender, or small", and pous, "foot", a reference to slender pedicels.Umberto Quattrocchi. 2000. CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names volume II. CRC Press: Boca Raton; New York; Washington, DC;, USA. London, UK. {{ISBN|978-0-8493-2676-9}}. The genus was first described in 1836[https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/34667678#page/155/mode/1up Decaisne, Joseph. 1836. in Jacquemont, Venceslas Victor, Voyage dans l'Inde 4: 155, pl. 156] in Latin[http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40005145 Tropicos, Leptopus Decne.] and revised in 2009.Maria S. Vorontsova and Petra Hoffmann. 2009. "Revision of the genus Leptopus (Phyllanthaceae, Euphorbiaceae sensu lato)". Kew Bulletin 64(4):627-644.

Leptopus fangdingianus had been placed by some authors in a separate genus, Archileptopus, but it was shown in 2007 that recognition of Archileptopus makes Leptopus paraphyletic.Maria S. Vorontsova, Petra Hoffmann, Olivier Maurin, and Mark W. Chase. 2007. "Phylogenetics of tribe Poranthereae (Phyllanthaceae)." American Journal of Botany 94(12):2026-2040. Phyllanthopsis phyllanthoides has been placed in Leptopus as well as in Andrachne. In 2007, it was shown to not properly belong to either genus and in 2008 was assigned to a new genus, Phyllanthopsis.

;Species

{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|

1. Leptopus australis - Hainan, SE Asia
2. Leptopus chinensis - China, Myanmar, Pakistan, Iran, Caucasus
3. Leptopus clarkei - S China, Assam, Myanmar, Vietnam
4. Leptopus cordifolius - Afghanistan, Himalayas
5. Leptopus emicans - Arunachal Pradesh, Myanmar
6. Leptopus fangdingianus - Guangxi
7. Leptopus hainanensis - Hainan
8. Leptopus nepalensis - Nepal
9. Leptopus pachyphyllus - Guangxi
10. Leptopus robinsonii - Vietnam

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;formerly included

moved to other genera: Chorisandrachne Euphorbia Notoleptopus Phyllanthopsis

{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|

1. L. adiantoides - Euphorbia adiantoides
2. L. brasiliensis - Euphorbia hyssopifolia
3. L. decaisnei - Notoleptopus decaisnei
4. L. diplospermus - Chorisandrachne diplosperma
5. L. dominianus - Notoleptopus decaisnei
6. L. hartwegii - Euphorbia adiantoides
7. L. ocymoides - Euphorbia ocymoidea
8. L. orbicularis - Notoleptopus decaisnei
9. L. phyllanthoides - Phyllanthopsis phyllanthoides
10. L. poeppigii - Euphorbia poeppigii
11. L. segoviensis - Euphorbia segoviensis

}}