coriaria

{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}}

{{Automatic taxobox

|image = Coriaria ruscifolia.jpg

|image_caption = Coriaria ruscifolia

|parent_authority = Mirb.{{Cite journal |last=Angiosperm Phylogeny Group |year=2009 |title=An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG III |journal=Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society |volume=161 |issue=2 |pages=105–121 |doi=10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00996.x |doi-access=free |hdl=10654/18083 |hdl-access=free }}

|taxon = Coriaria

|authority = L. 1753

|type_species = Coriaria myrtifolia

|type_species_authority = L.Lectotype designated by M. L. Green, Prop. Brit. Bot. 192 (1929).

|range_map = Coriaria distribution.svg

|range_map_caption= Coriaria distribution

|subdivision_ranks = Species

|subdivision = 14; see text.

|synonyms_ref =

|synonyms =

• Heterocladus Turcz.
• Heterophylleia Turcz.

}}

Coriaria is the sole genus in the family Coriariaceae, which was described by Linnaeus in 1753.[http://www.tropicos.org/Name/40014227 Tropicos, Coriaria L.][https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/359058#page/479/mode/1up Linnaeus, Carl von. 1753. Species Plantarum 2: 1037] in Latin It includes 14 species{{cite journal |author1=Christenhusz, M. J. M. |author2=Byng, J. W. |name-list-style=amp | year = 2016 | title = The number of known plants species in the world and its annual increase | journal = Phytotaxa | volume = 261 | pages = 201–217 | url = http://biotaxa.org/Phytotaxa/article/download/phytotaxa.261.3.1/20598 | doi = 10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1 | issue = 3 | publisher = Magnolia Press | doi-access = free }} of small trees, shrubs and subshrubs, with a widespread but disjunct distribution across warm temperate regions of the world, occurring as far apart as the Mediterranean region, southern and eastern Asia, New Zealand (where some are alpine species), the Pacific Ocean islands, and Central and South America.[http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=47201 Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families]Davidse, G., M. Sousa Sánchez, S. Knapp & F. Chiang Cabrera. 2014. Saururaceae a Zygophyllaceae. 2(3): ined. In G. Davidse, M. Sousa Sánchez, S. Knapp & F. Chiang Cabrera (eds.) Flora Mesoamericana. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=10218%20 Flora of China Vol. 11 Page 333 马桑科 ma sang ke Coriariaceae]

The leaves are opposite or in whorls, simple, {{convert|2–9|cm|abbr=off}} long, without stipules. The flowers are borne in racemes 2–30 cm long, each flower small, greenish, with five small petals. The fruit is a small and shiny black (occasionally yellow or red) berry-like swollen corolla, highly poisonous in several species, though those of C. terminalis are edible. At least a few members of this genus are non-legume nitrogen fixers.

The Mediterranean species C. myrtifolia is known as redoul, and the several New Zealand species are known by the Māori name of tutu.

The South American species C. ruscifolia is an evergreen climber known as deu or huique, and is used in southern Chile to make rat poison.