PlantaeDB Logo
Login Sign-up

Genus Maytenus in Family Celastraceae

In botanical taxonomy, a genus (plural genera) is a rank used to group closely related species within a family. In the hierarchy, genus sits below family and above species.

Genera are defined by shared morphological, anatomical, and genetic characteristics (for example, features of flowers, fruits, seeds, or leaves) that indicate a close evolutionary relationship among the species they contain.

Each genus can include one or more species. Examples include Rosa (roses) and Solanum (nightshades, including tomato and eggplant).

Do you wish to read more about plant taxonomy? Click here!

Genus Description

Suggest a correction!

Maytenus (Molina) is a genus in the family Celastraceae, estimated at roughly 190 accepted species (POWO, 2024). It is distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, Africa, and Asia, occurring in dry woodlands, scrub, forest edges, and occasionally on limestone outcrops up to about 2 500 m elevation (WFO, 2024). The type species, designated by the original author, is Maytenus serrata (L.) Mill., as recorded by the global checklist (POWO, 2024; Mabberley, 2017).

Diagnostic morphology distinguishes Maytenus from most other Celastraceae. Plants are evergreen shrubs or small trees with opposite, rarely alternate, simple leaves that bear small, caducous stipules; leaf margins are entire or finely serrate, and the lamina may be glabrous or sparsely pubescent. Inflorescences are axillary, often solitary or arranged in short cymes, bearing minute 4‑merous (sometimes 5‑merous) flowers with a prominent cupular nectary disc; stamens are inserted on the disc and the ovary is superior, 2‑5‑locular with axile placentation and usually two ovules per locule. Fruit is typically a drupe with a hard endocarp that splits into 2‑4 pyrenes, a trait that separates Maytenus from many genera in the family that produce capsules (Simmons et al., 2022).

Diversity and range centre on two major biogeographic blocks. The greatest species richness occurs in the Neotropics, especially Brazil and the Andes, and in sub‑Saharan Africa, with a notable concentration of endemics on Madagascar and the Caribbean islands. The genus occupies a spectrum of habitats from dry forest understory to open savanna, and a few taxa extend into montane grasslands (APG IV, 2016).

Intrinsic biology reflects adaptation to diverse pollinators and seed dispersers. Small, open flowers attract generalist insects, primarily bees and flies, while drupes are consumed by birds and mammals that facilitate long‑distance dispersal (Simmons et al., 2022). Chromosome counts reported for several species consistently reveal a base number x = 13, supporting a relatively stable karyotype across the genus (Almagro‑López et al., 2020).

Taxonomy and phylogeny have undergone substantial revision. Molecular work (Simmons et al., 2022) resolves Maytenus sensu stricto as a core clade of roughly 70 species, while many former African species are re‑assigned to Gymnosporia and to newly proposed subgenera such as subg. Maytenus and subg. Pseudocatharanthus. Alternative treatments retain Gymnosporia as a separate genus, a view still reflected in the World Flora Online (WFO, 2024) and in some floras (Mabberley, 2017). Conflicting phylogenetic placements of several Neotropical lineages indicate that species boundaries remain partially unresolved (Simmons et al., 2022).

Human relevance is modest. A few species, notably Maytenus senegalensis, are cultivated for their glossy foliage and tolerance of dry soils, while larger trees are locally harvested for timber and carving; no Maytenus species are considered aggressive weeds (POWO, 2024).

Conservation and outlook: habitat loss, over‑harvest, and limited distribution threaten many narrow endemics, and the ongoing taxonomic flux hampers effective IUCN assessments. Continued integrative research, updated checklists, and clarified species limits are essential to safeguard the remaining diversity of Maytenus (Simmons et al., 2022).

Pick a Species to see its components: