Hoplestigma
Genus of flowering plants
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hoplestigma is a genus of flowering plants in the family Hoplestigmataceae.[2] It is the only genus in the family.[3] It has also been placed in the family Boraginaceae s.l. Its two species are native to Cameroon, Gabon, Ivory Coast and Liberia in western tropical Africa.[1]
| Hoplestigma | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Boraginales |
| Family: | Hoplestigmataceae |
| Genus: | Hoplestigma Pierre[1] |
| Type species | |
| Hoplestigma klaineanum Pierre | |
| Species | |
Taxonomy
The genus Hoplestigma was established by Jean Baptiste Louis Pierre in 1899. The genus name Hoplestigma is derived from the Greek hople, "a hoof or a cloven hoof" and stigma, "a flower stigma". The botanical name is a reference to the deeply bifid style.[4]
The family placement of the genus has varied. It was traditionally included in Boraginaceae sensu lato,[5] as it was in the APG IV system,[6] and by Plants of the World Online as of December 2025[update].[1] A study of pollen in 1989 suggested that Hoplestigma might be related to the family Ehretiaceae (= Boraginaceae subfamily Ehretioideae).[7] In a 2014 molecular phylogenetic study based on chloroplast DNA, Hoplestigma formed a strongly supported clade with Coldenia and genera that have been placed in the family Cordiaceae (= Boraginaceae subfamily Cordioideae) and the authors recommended that Hoplestigma and Coldenia be included in Cordiaceae.[8] In 2016, the Boraginales Working Group placed Hoplestigma in its own family Hoplestigmataceae.[9]
Species
As of December 2025[update], two species were recognized:[1][2]
- Hoplestigma klaineanum Pierre
- Hoplestigma pierreanum Gilg
Both are rare trees of lowland jungle in West and Central Africa.[10]