Dissotis is a genus of plants in the family Melastomataceae.[1] It includes nine species of annual or perennial herbs, shrubs, or small trees which are native to tropical Africa.[2]
The generic name is based on the Greek word Шаблон:Transl, which means 'twofold'.[3] This refers to the two types of anthers that is a characteristic of this genus.
Taxonomy
Until recently Dissotis contained dozens of species, organized into four sections – Dissotis, Macrocarpae, Sessilifoliae, and Squamulosae. A 2020 study found that the genus was polyphyletic, and most species formerly placed in Dissotis were placed in five new genera – Almedanthus (for Dissotis pachytricha), Eleotis (for former Dissotis sect. Sessilifoliae), Feliciotis (for former sect. Macrocarpae), Pyrotis (for D. gilgiana) and Rosettea (for former sect. Squamulosae) – or into the existing or revived genera Antherotoma, Derosiphia, and Nerophila.[4]
↑Veranso-Libalah, M.C., Stone, R.D. and Kadereit, G. (2020), Towards a complete phylogeny of African Melastomateae: Systematics of Dissotis and allies (Melastomataceae). TAXON, 69: 946-991. https://doi.org/10.1002/tax.12317