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Grewia

Grewia is a large flowering plant genus in the mallow family Malvaceae, in the expanded sense as proposed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. Formerly, Grewia was placed in either the family Tiliaceae or the Sparrmanniaceae. However, these were both not monophyletic with respect to other Malvales - as already indicated by the uncertainties surrounding placement of Grewia and similar genera - and have thus been merged into the Malvaceae. Together with the bulk of the former Sparrmanniaceae, Grewia is in the subfamily Grewioideae and therein the tribe Grewieae, of which it is the type genus.

The genus was named by Carl Linnaeus, in honor of the botanist Nehemiah Grew (1641-1712) from England. Grew was one of the leading plant anatomists and microscope researchers of his time, and his study of pollen laid the groundwork for modern-day palynology.

Ecology and uses

Several Lepidoptera caterpillars are found to feed on Grewia species. These include the common nawab (Polyura athamas) and the swift moth Endoclita malabaricus. The Bucculatricidae leaf miner Bucculatrix epibathra is apparently only found on G. tiliaefolia.

The parasitic wasp Aprostocetus psyllidis of the Eulophidae occurs on and around phalsa (G. asiatica). Its larvae are parasitoids of other insects - possibly pests of the plant, but this is not known for sure.

Several species, namely phalsa, are known for their edible fruit, which are of local commercial importance. The astringent and refreshing Grewia drupes are particularly popular in summertime. Folk medicine makes use of some species, which are reputed to cure upset stomachs and some skin and intestinal infections, and seem to have mild antibiotic properties. G. mollis is reputed to contain β-carboline alkaloids, though whether such compounds occur in other species too and whether they are produced in quantities to render the plants psychoactive has not been thoroughly studied.

In Myanmar, the bark of the tree of Grewia polygama (Burmese: တရော်) or Grewia eriocarpa (Burmese: ပင်တရော်) is mixed with the soapy kinpun (Senegalia rugata) fruit and sometimes lime to make the traditional shampoo tayaw kinpun, which remains widely used by the Burmese people and commonly sold in the country's open-air markets, typically in plastic bags.

Explorer Ludwig Leichhardt described preparing a refreshing drink from the seeds of native Australian species G. polygama.

Selected species

275 species are accepted. Selected species include:

  • Grewia abutifolia (= G. sclerophylla <small>Roxb. ex G. Don</small>, Sterculia tiliacea <small>Leveille</small>)
  • Grewia afra <small>Meisn.</small> (= G. fruticetorum <small>J.R.Drummond ex Baker f.</small>)
  • Grewia asiatica &ndash; phalsa, falsa
  • Grewia avellana <small>Hiern.</small> (= G. calycina <small>N.E.Br.</small>, G. hydrophila <small>K.Schum.</small>, G. perennans <small>K.Schum.</small>)
  • Grewia bicolor <small>Juss.</small> (= G. disticha <small>Dinter & Burret</small>, G. grisea, G. kwebensis <small>N.E.Br.</small>, G. miniata <small>Mast. ex Hiern.</small>, G. mossambicensis)
  • Grewia biloba <small>G.Don</small> &ndash; bilobed Grewia (= G. biloba var. glabrescens <small>(Benth.) Rehder</small>, G. glabrescens <small>Benth.</small>, G. parviflora var. glabrescens <small>(Benth.) Rehder & E.H.Wilson</small>)
  • Grewia biloba var. microphylla <small>(Maxim) Hand.-Mazz.</small> (= G. parviflora var. microphylla <small>Maxim.</small>)
  • Grewia biloba var. parviflora <small>(Bunge) Hand.-Mazz.</small> (= G. chanetii <small>H.Lév.</small>, G. parviflora <small>Bunge</small>, G. parviflora var. velutina <small>Pampanini</small>)
  • Grewia bilocularis <small>Balf.f.</small>
  • Grewia calymmatosepala <small>K.Schum.</small>
  • Grewia celtidifolia Juss. (= G. asiatica var. celtidifolia <small>(Jussieu) L.F.Gagnepain</small>, G. simaoensis <small>Y.Y.Qian</small>, G. yunnanensis <small>H.T.Chang</small>)
  • Grewia crenata <small>(J.R.Forst.) Schinz & Guillaumin</small> (= G. malococca, G. persicaefolia, G. prunifolia, Mallococca crenata) &ndash; au‘ere (Cook Islands), fau ui (Samoa), fo ui (Tonga)
  • Grewia cyclea – andilambarika (Malagasy)
  • Grewia damine <small>Gaertn.</small> (= G. tiliifolia <small>Vahl</small>)
  • Grewia eriocarpa <small>Juss.</small> (= G. boehmeriifolia <small>Kanehira & Sasaki</small>, G. elastica <small>Royle</small>, G. lantsangensis <small>Hu</small>)
  • Grewia falcistipula <small>K.Schum.</small>
  • Grewia flava <small>DC.</small> (= G. cana <small>Sond.</small>, G. hermannioides <small>Harv.</small>)
  • Grewia flavescens <small>Juss.</small> (= G. flavescens var. longipedunculata <small>Burret</small>)
  • Grewia glabra <small>Blume</small> &ndash; sometimes included in G. multiflora
  • Grewia glandulosa <small>Vahl</small> (= G. salicifolia <small>Schinz</small>)
  • Grewia goetzeana <small>K.Schum.</small>
  • Grewia hexamita <small>Burret</small> (= G. messinica <small>Burtt Davy & Greenway</small>, G. schweickerdtii <small>Burret</small>)
  • Grewia hirsuta <small>Vahl.</small>
  • Grewia hornbyi <small>Wild</small>
  • Grewia inaequilatera <small>Garcke</small>
  • Grewia insularis <small>Ridl.</small> (Christmas Island)
  • Grewia lasiocarpa <small>E.Mey. ex Harv.</small>
  • Grewia latifolia <small>F.Muell. ex Benth.</small>
  • Grewia limae <small>Wild </small>
  • Grewia microthyrsa <small>K.Schum. ex Burret</small>
  • Grewia mollis <small>Juss.</small>
  • Grewia monticola <small>Sond.</small> (= G. cordata <small>N.E.Br.</small>, G. discolor, <small>N.E.Br.</small>)
  • Grewia multiflora <small>Juss.</small> (= G. didyma <small>Roxb. ex G.Don</small>, G. disperma <small>Rottler</small>, G. guazumifolia <small>Juss.</small>, G. jinghongensis <small>Y.Y.Qian</small>, G. oblongifolia <small>Blume</small>, G. serrulata <small>DC.</small>)
  • Grewia occidentalis <small>L.</small> &ndash; Crossberry
  • Grewia olukondae <small>Schinz.</small> (= G. flavescens var. olukondae <small>(Schinz) Wild</small>)
  • Grewia optiva <small>J.R.Drumm. ex Burret</small> (= G. oppositifolia <small>Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don</small>)
  • Grewia orientalis <small>Carl Linnaeus</small>
  • Grewia oxyphylla <small>Burret</small>
  • Grewia pachycalyx <small>K.Schum.</small>
  • Grewia picta (= G. aldabrensis <small>Baker </small>
  • Grewia renistipulata
  • Grewia retinervis <small>Burret</small> (= G. deserticola <small>Ulbr.</small>)
  • Grewia retusifolia <small>Kurz</small>
  • Grewia robusta <small>Burch</small>
  • Grewia rothii <small>DC</small>
  • Grewia savannicola ("Dogs balls")<small>R.L.Barrett</small>
  • Grewia schinzii <small>K.Schum.</small> (= G. velutinissima <small>Dunkley</small>)
  • Grewia similis <small>K.Schum.</small>
  • Grewia stolzii <small>Ulbr.</small>
  • Grewia sulcata <small>Mast.</small>
  • Grewis tembensis <small>Fresen.</small>
  • Grewia tenax <small>(Forssk.)</small> (= Chadara tenax <small>Forssk.</small>, G. populifolia <small>Vahl</small>)
  • Grewia tiliifolia <small>Vahl</small> (= G. rotunda <small>C.Y.Wu</small>, G. tiliaefolia <small>(lapsus)</small>, Tilia rotunda <small>C.Y.Wu & H.T.Chang</small>)
  • Grewia transzambesica <small> Wild </small>
  • Grewia turbinata <small>Balf.f. </small>
  • Grewia villosa <small>Willd.</small>

Formerly placed here

Some species once placed in Grewia (or genera synonymous with it) have since been moved elsewhere, particularly to Microcos:

Footnotes

References