Pleroma (plant)

Species of Pleroma are subshrubs, shrubs or trees. Their leaves are almost always opposite and petiolate, rarely sessile. The inflorescence is a terminal panicle or some modification of one. The flowers are perigynous with a bell- or urn-shaped hypanthium (base of the flower), usually externally covered with short, soft hairs (pubescent). There are usually five petals (sometimes four), purple to lilac, rarely white. The flowers have ten stamens (sometimes eight), often of two distinct sizes, with purple or pink anthers. The connective at the base of an anther is modified into a ventral bilobed appendage. The numerous seeds are contained in a dry semiwoody capsule and are spiral in shape, possibly elongated. ==Taxonomy==

The genus Pleroma was established by David Don in 1822. He derived the name from Ancient Greek , , meaning "fullness", referring to the way the seeds filled the capsule. Although Don used the genus name as a feminine noun, giving specific epithets feminine endings, • Pleroma caetanoi F.S.Mey. & R.Goldenb. • Pleroma candolleanum (DC.) Triana • Pleroma canescens (D.Don) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma carajasense K.Rocha, R.Goldenb. & F.S.Mey. • Pleroma cardinale (Bonpl.) Triana • Pleroma carvalhoi (Wurdack) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma castellense (Brade) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma cecilianum P.J.F.Guim. & M.F.Oliveira da Silva • Pleroma cinereum (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma claussenii (Naudin) Triana • Pleroma clavatum (Pers.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma cleistoflora (Ule) P.J.F.Guim., M.F.Oliveira da Silva & Michelang. • Pleroma clidemioides O.Berg ex Triana • Pleroma collinum (Naudin) Triana • Pleroma comosum (J.G.Freitas, A.K.A.Santos & R.P.Oliveira) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma cordifolium (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma costatocalyx F.S.Mey., L.Kollmann & R.Goldenb. • Pleroma crassirame (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma cristatum (Brade) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma cryptadenum (Gleason) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma cucullatum F.S.Mey., Fraga & R.Goldenb. • Pleroma decemcostatum (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma dendroides (Naudin) Triana • Pleroma diffusum DC. • Pleroma discolor (Brade) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma divaricatum (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma dubium (Cham.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma dusenii (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma echinatum Gardner • Pleroma edmundoi (Brade & Markgr.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma eichleri (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma elegans Gardner • Pleroma estrellense (Raddi) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma ferricola A.L.F.Oliveira, R.Romero & P.J.F.Guim. • Pleroma fissinervium (DC.) Gardner • Pleroma floribundum (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma fontanae F.S.Mey., L.Kollmann & R.Goldenb. • Pleroma formosum (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma fornograndense F.S.Mey., R.Goldenb. & L.Kollmann • Pleroma fothergillae (DC.) Triana • Pleroma foveolatum (Naudin) Triana • Pleroma fragae L.Kollmann & R.Goldenb. • Pleroma francavillanum (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma gardneri (Naudin) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma gaudichaudianum (DC.) A.Gray • Pleroma gertii P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma glandulosum (Bonpl.) Triana • Pleroma glutinosum (Markgr.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma goldenbergii (F.S.Mey., P.J.F.Guim. & Kozera) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma granulosum (Desr.) D.Don • Pleroma guartelaensis F.S.Mey. & R.Goldenb. • Pleroma hatschbachii (Wurdack) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma heteromallum (D.Don) D.Don • Pleroma hirsutissimum (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma hospitum (DC.) Triana • Pleroma integerrimum (R.Romero & A.B.Martins) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma itatiaiae (Wawra) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma kleinii (Wurdack) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma kollmanniana F.S.Mey. & R.Goldenb. • Pleroma kuhlmannii (Brade) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma laevicaule (Wurdack) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma langsdorffianum (Bonpl.) Triana • Pleroma leopoldinense L.Kollmann & R.Goldenb. • Pleroma lhotskyanum (C.Presl) Triana • Pleroma lilacinum (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma limae (Brade) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma luetzelburgii (Markgr.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma lutzii (Brade) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma macrochiton (DC.) Triana • Pleroma magdalenense (Brade) F.S.Mey. & R.Goldenb. • Pleroma manicatum (Cogn.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma marinanum P.J.F.Guim. & Fraga • Pleroma martiale (Cham.) Triana • Pleroma martiusianum (DC.) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma marumbiense (Wurdack) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma maximilianum Triana • Pleroma melanocalyx (R.Romero, P.J.F.Guim. & Leoni) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma mello-barretoi (Brade) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. • Pleroma michelangelii P.J.F.Guim. & J.G.Freitas • Pleroma miconiifolium F.S.Mey. & R.Goldenb. • Pleroma wurdackianum (R.Romero & A.B.Martins) P.J.F.Guim. & Michelang. ==Distribution and habitat==

Pleroma species are mostly native to eastern Brazil in the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes, more rarely in the Caatinga. A few species reach other parts of South America and the Caribbean (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, the Leeward Islands, Peru, Puerto Rico and Venezuela). They are found in forests and forest margins, river banks, high altitude grasslands, rocky outcrops and restingas, from sea level up to an elevation of 2,650 m. ==References==