Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 12, 2026

Plocama

Plocama is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It was described by William Aiton in 1789. It is distributed from the Canary Islands to northwestern India.

Last revised
Jun 12, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
471 w
Citations
5
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Plocama
Plocama calabrica
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Spermatophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Rubiaceae
Subfamily: Rubioideae
Tribe: Putorieae
Genus: Plocama
Aiton1
Type species
Plocama pendula
Synonyms
10 synonyms
  • Bartlingia Rchb.
  • Choulettia Pomel
  • Crocyllis E.Mey. ex Hook.f.
  • Gaillonia A.Rich. ex DC.
  • Jaubertia Guill.
  • Neogaillonia Lincz.
  • Placodium Benth. & Hook.f.
  • Pseudogaillonia Linchevskii
  • Pterogaillonia Linchevskii
  • Putoria Pers.

Plocama is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It was described by William Aiton in 1789. It is distributed from the Canary Islands to northwestern India.2

The genus was expanded in 2007 when several other Rubiaceae genera were merged into it. There are now about 34 species.3

Plants of this genus are herbs or shrubs. They generally have an offensive scent when crushed. The leaves are oppositely arranged. The corolla is funnel shaped with a short to long tubular base. The fruit is either a drupe or a body that splits into two parts when ripe.3

Species

As of January 2026, Plants of the World Online accepts the following 36 species:1

  • Plocama afghanica (Ehrend.) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama alshehbazii F.O.Khass., Khamraeva, Khuzhan. & Achilova
  • Plocama asperuliformis (Lincz.) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama aucheri (Guill.) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama botschantzevii (Lincz.) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama brevifolia (Coss. & Durieu ex Pomel) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama bruguieri (A.Rich. ex DC.) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama bucharica (B.Fedtsch. & Des.-Shost.) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama calabrica (L.f.) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama calcicola (Puff) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama calycoptera (Decne.) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama crocyllis (Sond.) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama crucianelloides (Jaub. & Spach) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama dezfulensis (Naanaie & Assadi) Bordbar & Mirtadz.
  • Plocama dubia (Aitch. & Hemsl.) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama ehrendorferi Mirtadz. & Bordbar
  • Plocama eriantha (Jaub. & Spach) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama hymenostephana (Jaub. & Spach) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama iljinii (Lincz.) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama inopinata (Lincz.) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama jolana (Thulin) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama kandaharensis (Ehrend. & Qarar ex Ehrend. & Schönb.-Tem.) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama macrantha (Blatt. & Hallb.) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama mestscherjakovii (Lincz.) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama olivieri (A.Rich. ex DC.) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama pendula Aiton
  • Plocama puberula (Balf.f.) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama putorioides (Radcl.-Sm.) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama reboudiana (Coss. & Durieu) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama somaliensis (Puff) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama szowitzii (DC.) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama thymoides (Balf.f.) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama tinctoria (Balf.f.) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama trichophylla (Popov) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama vassilczenkoi (Lincz.) M.Backlund & Thulin
  • Plocama yemenensis (Thulin) M.Backlund & Thulin
References

References

  1. "Plocama Aiton". Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2026. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  2. "World Checklist of Rubiaceae". Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  3. Backlund, M., Bremer, B., & Thulin, M. (2007). Paraphyly of Paederieae, recognition of Putorieae and expansion of Plocama (Rubiaceae-Rubioideae). Taxon, 56(2), 315-328.