Moeroris tenella (Roxburgh) R.W. Bouman

Locations ofMoeroris tenella (Roxburgh) R.W. Bouman in Virginia

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Detail

Family
Phyllanthaceae
Botanical Name
Moeroris tenella (Roxburgh) R.W. Bouman
Common Name
Mascarene Island Leaf-flower
Synonym(s)
Phyllanthus tenellus Roxb.
Flora of Virginia Name/Status
Phyllanthus tenellus Roxb.
Comments
Phyllanthus, as traditionally circumscribed, is an enormous, paraphyletic genus. To maintain monophyly, the choice here is to either include several traditionally recognized Asian, Australian, and North American genera in a broad monophyletic Phyllanthus, or split Phyllanthus up into numerous monophyletic genera. According to John Hayden, because Bouman et al. (2021, Taxon 70: 72-98 and 2022, Phytotaxa 540(1): 1-100) have executed such a comprehensive overhaul of the intimidatingly large genus, the super-splitting approach appears preferable to investing a huge amount of time and resources to align the older framework of subgenera and many sections with the new phylogeny. Our only native Phyllanthus caroliniensis ssp. caroliniensis remains in the newly paired down Phyllanthus sensu stricto. As followed here, Phyllanthus tenellus is transferred to the genus Moeroris.
Habitat
Planter boxes and mulched beds in various landscape settings. The first Virginia collection was in 1994. Found in Chesterfield County in 1999 and at two location in Henrico in 2004 and 2007, followed by records from additional counties. It has persisted for many years at the Henrico locations (J. Hayden, pers. comm., 2018).
Native Status
Introduced

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