Combretum

Combretum, the bushwillows or combretums, make up the type genus of the family Combretaceae. The genus comprises about 272 species of trees and shrubs, most of which are native to tropical and southern Africa, about 5 to Madagascar, but there are others that are native to tropical Asia, New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago, Australia, and tropical America. Though somewhat reminiscent of willows (Salix) in their habitus, they are not particularly close relatives of these.
Ecology
Bushwillow trees often are important plants in their habitat. Savannahs in Africa, in particular those growing on granitic soils, are often dominated by Combretum and its close relative Terminalia. For example, C. apiculatum is a notable tree in the Angolan mopane woodlands ecoregion in the Kunene River basin in southern Africa.
Other species of this genus are a major component of Southwestern Amazonian moist forests. This genus contains several species that are pollinated by mammals other than bats, which is quite rare indeed. But most species are more conventionally pollinated by insects or birds.
Typhlodromus combretum, a mite of the family Phytoseiidae, was discovered on a bushwillow plant and is named after this genus. Other herbivores that eat Combretum foliage include the caterpillars of the Brown Awl (Badamia exclamationis) which is found on C. albidum, C. latifolium and C. ovalifolium; those of the Orange-tailed Awl (Bibasis sena) are recorded from C. extensum and C. latifolium.
Use by humans
Several species are used in African or Indian herbal medicine. Several species of this genus in Madagascar known collectively as voantamenaka or voatamenaka (from voa 'fruit' and menaka 'oil') are used in traditional Malagasy medicine as deworming remedies. The class of chemical compounds known as combretastatins were first isolated from South African Bushwillow (Combretum caffrum), from which they get their name. One synthetic derivative, fosbretabulin disodium (combretastatin A4 phosphate), underwent preliminary study for the treatment of anaplastic thyroid cancer, but it was not effective enough to progress to more advanced trials. C. molle is also recorded to contain antioxidants such as punicalagin, which is also found in pomegranates (Punica granatum), a somewhat related plant.
The botanist George Don studied this genus extensively. The Luvuvhu River in southern Africa was named after the river's bushwillows (C. erythrophyllum), locally known as muvuvhu.
Species
As of April 2021, there are 272 accepted species of Combretum:
Combretum aculeatum
Combretum acuminatum
Combretum acutifolium
Combretum acutum
Combretum adenogonium
Combretum adrianii
Combretum afzelii
Combretum alatum
Combretum albiflorum
Combretum albopunctatum
Combretum alfredi
Combretum andongense
Combretum andradae
Combretum angolense
Combretum angustipetalum
Combretum annulatum
Combretum apetalum
Combretum aphanopetalum
Combretum apiculatum
Combretum argenteum
Combretum argyrotrichum
Combretum assimile
Combretum atropurpureum
Combretum aureonitens
Combretum auriculatum
Combretum barbatum
Combretum batesii
Combretum bauchiense
Combretum baumii
Combretum bipindense
Combretum blepharopetalum
Combretum boinensis
Combretum bracteatum
Combretum bracteosum
Combretum brassiciforme
Combretum brevistylum
Combretum brunneum
Combretum butyrosum
Combretum cacoucia
Combretum caffrum
Combretum camporum
Combretum capitatum
Combretum capituliflorum
Combretum capuronii
Combretum carringtonianum
Combretum caudatisepalum
Combretum celastroides
Combretum chinense
Combretum chionanthoides
Combretum cinereopetalum
Combretum cinnabarinum
Combretum clarense
Combretum coccineum
Combretum collinum
Combretum comosum
Combretum conchipetalum
Combretum confertum
Combretum × confusum
Combretum congolanum
Combretum constrictum
Combretum contractum
Combretum coriifolium
Combretum coursianum
Combretum cuspidatum
Combretum decandrum
Combretum decaryi
Combretum deciduum
Combretum demeusei
Combretum discolor
Combretum dolichopodum
Combretum duarteanum
Combretum echirense
Combretum edwardsii
Combretum elaeagnoides
Combretum engleri
Combretum eriogynum
Combretum erosum
Combretum erythrophloeum
Combretum erythrophyllum
Combretum esteriense
Combretum evisceratum
Combretum exalatum
Combretum exannulatum
Combretum excelsum
Combretum exellii
Combretum falcatum
Combretum farinosum
Combretum flammeum
Combretum foliatum
Combretum frangulifolium
Combretum fruticosum
Combretum fulvum
Combretum fuscum
Combretum gabonense
Combretum germainii
Combretum ghesquierei
Combretum gillettianum
Combretum glabrum
Combretum glaucocarpum
Combretum glutinosum
Combretum goetzei
Combretum goldieanum
Combretum goossensii
Combretum gordonii
Combretum gossweileri
Combretum gracile
Combretum graciliflorum
Combretum grandidieri
Combretum grandiflorum
Combretum griffithii
Combretum harmsianum
Combretum harrisii
Combretum hartmannianum
Combretum haullevilleanum
Combretum hensii
Combretum hereroense
Combretum hilarianum
Combretum holstii
Combretum homalioides
Combretum igneiflorum
Combretum illairii
Combretum imberbe
Combretum indicum
Combretum inflatum
Combretum ivanii
Combretum kasaiense
Combretum kirkii
Combretum klossii
Combretum klotzschii
Combretum kostermansii
Combretum kraussii
Combretum lanceolatum
Combretum lanuginosum
Combretum latialatum
Combretum latifolium
Combretum laxum
Combretum lecardii
Combretum leprosum
Combretum lindense
Combretum lisowskii
Combretum littoreum
Combretum llewelynii
Combretum lokele
Combretum longicollum
Combretum longipilosum
Combretum longispicatum
Combretum longistipitatum
Combretum louisii
Combretum lukafuensis
Combretum luxenii
Combretum macrocalyx
Combretum malabaricum
Combretum mannii
Combretum marginatum
Combretum marquesii
Combretum mellifluum
Combretum meridionalis
Combretum micranthum
Combretum microphyllum
Combretum mkuzense
Combretum moggii
Combretum molle
Combretum monetaria
Combretum mooreanum
Combretum mortehanii
Combretum mossambicense
Combretum mucronatum
Combretum multinervium
Combretum mussaendiflorum
Combretum mweroense
Combretum nanum
Combretum ndjoleense
Combretum nigrescens
Combretum nigricans
Combretum nioroense
Combretum niphophilum
Combretum nusbaumeri
Combretum oatesii
Combretum obovatum
Combretum obscurum
Combretum octagonum
Combretum olivaceum
Combretum oudenhovenii
Combretum ovalifolium
Combretum oxygonium
Combretum oxystachyum
Combretum oyemense
Combretum padoides
Combretum paniculatum
Combretum paradoxum
Combretum paraguariense
Combretum patelliforme
Combretum paucinervium
Combretum pavonii
Combretum pecoense
Combretum pellegrinianum
Combretum pentagonum
Combretum petrophilum
Combretum phaeocarpum
Combretum pilosum
Combretum pisoniiflorum
Combretum pisonioides
Combretum platypterum
Combretum polyanthum
Combretum polystictum
Combretum procursum
Combretum psidioides
Combretum punctatum
Combretum purpureiflorum
Combretum pyramidatum
Combretum pyrifolium
Combretum quadrangulare
Combretum quadratum
Combretum rabiense
Combretum racemosum
Combretum razianum
Combretum recurvatum
Combretum relictum
Combretum rhodanthum
Combretum riggenbachianum
Combretum robustum
Combretum robynsii
Combretum rochetianum
Combretum rohrii
Combretum rotundifolium
Combretum rovirosae
Combretum roxburghii
Combretum rupestre
Combretum rupicola
Combretum sanjappae
Combretum scandens
Combretum schumannii
Combretum sericeum
Combretum shivannae
Combretum sordidum
Combretum sphaeroides
Combretum spinosum
Combretum stenopterum
Combretum stocksii
Combretum struempellianum
Combretum stylesii
Combretum subglabratum
Combretum subumbellatum
Combretum sundaicum
Combretum sylvicola
Combretum tarquense
Combretum tenuipetiolatum
Combretum tessmannii
Combretum tetragonocarpum
Combretum tetralophoides
Combretum tetralophum
Combretum teuschii
Combretum tibatiense
Combretum tomentosum
Combretum towaense
Combretum trichophyllum
Combretum trifoliatum
Combretum ulei
Combretum umbricola
Combretum vendae
Combretum vernicosum
Combretum villosum
Combretum violaceum
Combretum virgatum
Combretum viscosum
Combretum wallichii
Combretum wattii
Combretum wilksii
Combretum winitii
Combretum xanthothyrsum
Combretum youngii
Combretum zenkeri
Combretum zeyheri
References
External links
Medicinal plants
Myrtales genera