Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 11, 2026

Ledothamnus

Ledothamnus is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Ericaceae. Six of the seven species of Ledothamnus are recorded from restricted distributions on the summits of tepuis in the Guayana Highlands in Bolívar and Amazonas states of Venezuela. One species, L. guyanensis is more widespread throughout much of Venezuelan Guayana and adjacent Brazil.

Last revised
Jun 11, 2026
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Ledothamnus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Spermatophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Tribe: Bryantheae
Genus: Ledothamnus
Meisn.
Ledothamnus sessiliflorus flower source ↗

Ledothamnus is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Ericaceae.1 Six of the seven species of Ledothamnus are recorded from restricted distributions on the summits of tepuis in the Guayana Highlands in Bolívar and Amazonas states of Venezuela.2 One species, L. guyanensis is more widespread throughout much of Venezuelan Guayana and adjacent Brazil.12

In 2012, the new tribe Bryantheae was proposed based on genetic analysis, comprising Ledothamnus and the monotypic genus Bryanthus, which is native to Japan, Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands.2

Species:1

  • Ledothamnus atroadenus Maguire, Steyerm. & Luteyn – Chimantá Massif, Bolívar State, Venezuela3
  • Ledothamnus decumbens Maguire, Steyerm. & Luteyn – Chimantá Massif, Bolívar State3
  • Ledothamnus guyanensis Meisn. – endemic to Venezuelan Guayana and adjacent Brazil, absent from Chimantá Massif3
  • Ledothamnus jauaensis Maguire, Steyerm. & Luteyn – Cerro Sarisariñama, Bolívar State3
  • Ledothamnus luteus Maguire, Steyerm. & Luteyn – Chimantá Massif, Bolívar State3
  • Ledothamnus parviflorus Gleason – Cerro Duida, Amazonas State3
  • Ledothamnus sessiliflorus N.E.Br. – vicinity of Mount Roraima, border of Bolívar State, Guyana and Brazil3
References

References

  1. "Ledothamnus Meisn. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  2. Gillespie, Emily L.; Kron, Kathleen A. (2012-03-01). "A new tribe, Bryantheae (Ericoideae: Ericaceae), composed of disjunct genera from South America and Japan". Brittonia. 64 (1): 73–75. Bibcode:2012Britt..64...73G. doi:10.1007/s12228-011-9217-x. ISSN 1938-436X. S2CID 16485838.
  3. Luteyn, James L. (1995). "Ledothamnus". New York Botanical Garden.