Hoplophyllum
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| Hoplophyllum | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Subfamily: | Cichorioideae |
| Tribe: | Eremothamneae |
| Genus: | Hoplophyllum DC. |
| Type species | |
| Hoplophyllum spinosum DC. | |
| Species | |
| |
Hoplophyllum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae.[1] It has two species, Hoplophyllum spinosum and Hoplophyllum ferox, both native to South Africa.[2]
Both species are shrubs. The leaves are hard and spine-tipped, much longer than wide, and either cylindrical or somewhat flattened. They are grooved with stripes running lengthwise. The type species is Hoplophyllum spinosum.[3]
Hoplophyllum is derived from two Greek words, hoplon "a tool or weapon" and phyllon "a leaf", a reference to the spiny leaves.[4]
The name Hoplophyllum was originated in 1836 by A.P. de Candolle[5] when he assigned Hoplophyllum spinosum to this genus in his classic work Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis.[6] This species had originally been named Pteronia spinosa by Linnaeus filius in 1782 in his book Supplementum Plantarum.[7]
The closest relative of Hoplophyllum is Eremothamnus, another native of southern Africa.[8] In one classification, published in 2009, these two formed the tribe Eremothamneae.[9] Other authors have placed them in the tribe Arctotideae.[1]