Hillia (plant)
Genus of plants
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hillia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It has 24 species,[1] all of which are native to the Neotropics.[2]
| Hillia | |
|---|---|
| |
| Hillia parasitica | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Rubiaceae |
| Subfamily: | Cinchonoideae |
| Genus: | Hillia Jacquin |
| Type species | |
| Hillia parasitica Jacquin | |
| Species | |
|
24 species, see text. | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Ravnia Oersted | |
Taxonomy
Hillia was named by Nicolaus Jacquin in 1760.[3][4] It was named for the English botanist John Hill (1716–1775).[5] Jacquin named only one species, Hillia parasitica. It has been suggested that the specific epithet as well as the generic name might well be a reference to John Hill.[6]
Some authors have placed five of the species in a separate genus, Ravnia. A cladistic analysis of morphological characters found Ravnia to be embedded within Hillia.[6] This hypothesis has not been tested with molecular data.
The genera Hillia, Balmea, and Cosmibuena form a monophyletic group. Some authors have designated this group as the tribe Hillieae, but it might be embedded within another tribe, Hamelieae.[7]
Species
The following species list may be incomplete or contain synonyms.
- Hillia macrophylla Standley
- Hillia parasitica Jacquin
- Hillia rivalis C.M. Taylor
- Hillia triflora (Oersted) C.M. Taylor
Description
Uses
Hillia triflora is cultivated as an ornamental plant.[8]