Dombeya

These plants grow chiefly throughout Africa and Madagascar. Madagascar has the majority of species, with approximately 175 native species. 19 are found on the African mainland, with one, Dombeya torrida, also extending into the southwestern Arabian Peninsula. 24 species are native to the Mascarene Islands, of which 23 are endemic to the islands. Dombeya acutangula is native to east Africa, Madagascar, and the Mascarenes, with a disjunct population in Laos in Southeast Asia. ==Taxonomy==

Formerly believed to hold only about 80 species, in the present delimitation, Dombeya is one of the most speciose Malvaceae genera, containing as many as 255 species. Most have been moved here from distinct genera, which are now considered junior synonyms. Some of these might warrant recognition as subgenera, to show the evolutionary and phylogenetic patterns of the numerous dombeyas more clearly. In addition to the synonyms listed here, Astiria is suspected to be a rather distinct derivative of Dombeya and would thus have to be included in the present genus. This requires renaming of species, as A. rosea conflicts with D. rosea, a junior synonym of D. burgessiae. Furthermore, several species have been moved here from related genera that are still valid, namely Pentapetes. Dombeya of L'Héritier de Brutelle is a synonym of Tourrettia (Bignoniaceae). Dombeya of Lamarck is a synonym of Araucaria. ==Selected species==

There are 197 accepted species of Dombeya.. – Réunion • Dombeya formosa Le Péchon & Pausé – Réunion • Dombeya glandulosissima Arènes – eastern Madagascar • Dombeya kirkii Mast. – southern Ethiopia to KwaZulu-Natal • Dombeya laurifolia (Bojer) Baill. (= D. parkeri Baill., D. valimpony R.Vig. & Humbert, D. valimpony f. obovalopsis Hochr., Melhania laurifolia Bojer) – central Madagascar • Dombeya leandrii Arènes – western Madagascar • Dombeya ledermannii Engl. – Nigeria and Cameroon • Dombeya longebracteolata Seyani – southwestern and southern Ethiopia • Dombeya montana (Hochr.) Arènes (= D. acerifolia var. montana Hochr.) – central Madagascar • Dombeya palmatisecta Hochr. – Madagascar • Dombeya pilosa Cordem. – Réunion • Dombeya pulchra N.E.Br. – South Africa: Northern Province to KwaZulu-Natal • Dombeya punctata Cav. (= D. lancea Cordem., D. pervillei Baill., Pentapetes punctata Poir.) – Réunion • Dombeya quinqueseta – tropical Africa to Namibia • Dombeya reclinata Cordem. – Réunion • Dombeya rottleroides Baill. – northern and central Madagascar • Dombeya rotundifolia (Hochst.) Planch. – Blompeer or "South African Wild Pear". southern Ethiopia to South Africa • Dombeya shupangae K.Schum. – southeastern Kenya to Mozambique and Democratic Republic of the Congo • Dombeya spectabilis Bojer (= D. chapelieri Baill., D. humblotii Baill., D. lantziana Baill., D. rotundifolia Bojer) – east-central Madagascar • Dombeya tiliacea (Endl.) Planch. (= Xeropetalum tiliaceum Endl.) – South Africa: Eastern Cape Province to KwaZulu-Natal • Dombeya torrida (J.F.Gmel.) Bamps – Central African Republic to Eritrea, Zambia, and Malawi; also Yemen and southwestern Saudi Arabia. • Dombeya tsaratananensis (Hochr.) Arènes (= D. ficulnea var. tsaratananensis Hochr.) – central Madagascar • Dombeya umbellata Cav. (= Pentapetes umbellata Poir.) – Réunion • Dombeya wallichii (Lindl.) K.Schum. (= Astrapaea wallichii Lindl.) – Pink-ball, "Tropical Hydrangea". Eastern Madagascar Formerly placed here • Friedmannodendron rodriguesiana (as Dombeya rodriguesiana F.Friedmann) – Rodrigues ==Footnotes==