Cayaponia is among the largest genera in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, with 74 species. The plants are referred to as melonleaf. They are common from the southern United States to South America. Some species are also found in western Africa, Madagascar, and Fernando de Noronha, which is about off the coast of Brazil.
Most species are found in rainforests and have white or yellow-green flowers. The ancestral mode of pollination in Cayaponia was inferred as pollinated by bats, but at least two shifts to bee pollination are inferred among some of its species. This is apparently the first clade to shift from bat to bee pollination vice bee to bat pollination. A 2011 phylogenetioc study placed the genus Selysia under this genus.
Brazilian botanist António Luiz Patricio da Silva Manso named this genus after the indigenous Cayapo people of Brazil.
Species 74 species are accepted.
Cayaponia africana (Hook.f.) Exell Cayaponia alarici M. Porto Cayaponia amazonica (Poepp. & Endl.) Cogn. Cayaponia americana (Lam.) Cogn. Cayaponia angustiloba (Cogn.) Cogn. Cayaponia attenuata (Hook. & Arn.) Cogn. Cayaponia biflora Cogn. ex Harms Cayaponia boliviensis Cogn. Cayaponia bonariensis (Mill.) Mart. Cayaponia bonplandii (Cogn.) Cogn. Cayaponia botryocarpa C. Jeffrey Cayaponia breviloba (Griseb. ex Cogn.) Pozner Cayaponia buraeavii Cogn. Cayaponia cabocla (Vell.) Mart. Cayaponia capitata Cogn. ex Harms Cayaponia caulobotrys C.Jeffrey Cayaponia citrullifolia (Griseb.) Cogn. ex Griseb. Cayaponia cogniauxiana Gomes-Klein Cayaponia coriacea Cogn. Cayaponia cruegeri (Naudin) Cogn. Cayaponia denticulata Killip ex C.Jeffrey Cayaponia diversifolia Cogn. Cayaponia domingensis (Cogn.) H.Schaef. & M.Nee Cayaponia duckei Harms Cayaponia espelina (Silva Manso) Cogn. Cayaponia ferruginea Gomes-Klein Cayaponia floribunda (Cogn.) Cogn. Cayaponia fluminensis (Vell.) Cogn. Cayaponia glandulosa (Mart.) Cogn. Cayaponia gracillima (Cogn.) Cogn. Cayaponia granatensis Cogn. Cayaponia guianensis C.Jeffrey Cayaponia hammelii Grayum Cayaponia jenmanii C.Jeffrey Cayaponia kathematophora R.E.Schult. Cayaponia laciniosa (L.) C.Jeffrey Cayaponia laxa Cogn. ex Harms Cayaponia lhotskyana (Cogn.) Cogn. Cayaponia longifolia Cogn. Cayaponia longiloba A.K.Monro Cayaponia macrocalyx Harms Cayaponia martiana (Cogn.) Cogn. Cayaponia membranacea Gomes-Klein Cayaponia nitida Gomes-Klein & Pirani Cayaponia noronhae C.Jeffrey Cayaponia ophthalmica R.E.Schult. Cayaponia oppositifolia Harms Cayaponia ovata Cogn. Cayaponia palmata Cogn. Cayaponia pedata Cogn. Cayaponia peruviana (Poepp. & Endl.) Cogn. Cayaponia petiolulata Cogn. Cayaponia pilosa (Vell.) Cogn. Cayaponia podantha Cogn. Cayaponia quinqueloba (Raf.) Shinners Cayaponia racemosa (Mill.) Cogn. Cayaponia rigida (Cogn.) Cogn. Cayaponia rugosa Gomes-Klein & Pirani Cayaponia ruizii Cogn. Cayaponia selysioides C.Jeffrey Cayaponia sessiliflora Wunderlin Cayaponia setulosa (Cogn.) Cogn. Cayaponia simplicifolia (Naudin) Cogn. Cayaponia tayuya (Vell.) Cogn. Cayaponia ternata (Vell.) Cogn. Cayaponia tessmannii Harms Cayaponia tibiricae (Naudin) Cogn. Cayaponia triangularis (Cogn.) Cogn. Cayaponia trifoliata (Cogn.) Cogn. Cayaponia trilobata Cogn. Cayaponia tubulosa Cogn. Cayaponia ulei Cogn. ex Harms Cayaponia villosissima Cogn. Cayaponia weddellii (Naudin) Cogn.
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