Tovomita is a genus of flowering plants in the family Clusiaceae. They are noted for having white-yellow latex and containing xanthones. The genus is distributed in the tropical Americas from Costa Rica and the Windward Islands to Bolivia and southeastern Brazil, with many occurring in Venezuela. Most are native to the forests of the Amazon.BGCI publishes Red List of Neotropical genus Tovomita. Botanic Gardens Conservation International.
Most Tovomita species are trees, and a few are shrubs. They sometimes have buttress roots. There are monoecious and dioecious species.Cuello, N. L. Tovomita. In: J. A., et al., Eds. Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana. Missouri Botanical Garden.
Taxonomy The taxonomy of this genus and its relatives is a current topic of research. Phylogenetic analyses have helped to clarify relationships between the species, and many new species have been named and described in recent years.Marinho, L. C. et al. 2019. A gold mine: four more new species of Tovomita (Clusiaceae: Clusieae) from Amazonia. Willdenowia 49(3) 343-50.Marinho, L. C., et al. 2019. Plastomes resolve generic limits within tribe Clusieae (Clusiaceae) and reveal the new genus Arawakia. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 134 142-51. The genus Tovomita is not monophyletic.
Species 61 species are accepted.
Tovomita acutiflora Tovomita albiflora Tovomita amazonica Tovomita atropurpurea Tovomita auriculata Tovomita calodictyos Tovomita caloneura Tovomita calophyllophylla Tovomita carinata Tovomita caudata Tovomita chachapoyasensis Tovomita clarkii Tovomita clusiiflora Tovomita colombiana Tovomita cornuta Tovomita divaricata Tovomita duckei Tovomita eggersii Tovomita fanshawei Tovomita foldatsii Tovomita fructipendula Tovomita gazelii Tovomita glazioviana Tovomita gracilipes Tovomita grandis Tovomita grata Tovomita guianensis Tovomita hopkinsii Tovomita iaspidis Tovomita laurina Tovomita leucantha Tovomita longifolia Tovomita longirostrata Tovomita macrophylla Tovomita manauara Tovomita mangle Tovomita maxima Tovomita megantha Tovomita morii Tovomita nebulosa Tovomita nervosa Tovomita nidiae Tovomita obovata Tovomita parviflora Tovomita plumieri Tovomita riedeliana Tovomita salimenae Tovomita saulensis Tovomita schomburgkii Tovomita secunda Tovomita speciosa Tovomita spruceana Tovomita stergiosii Tovomita stylosa Tovomita tenuiflora Tovomita trojitana Tovomita turbinata Tovomita umbellata Tovomita vismiifolia Tovomita volkeri Tovomita weberbaueri
Formerly placed here Arawakia weddelliana (as Tovomita weddelliana ) Chrysochlamys microcarpa (as Tovomita microcarpa ) Clusia aequatoriensis (as Tovomita aequatoriensis )
Threats Some species are considered to be threatened, but the conservation status for most Tovomita species is not known due to lack of data. The most significant threat to the species is the deforestation of the Amazon.
References
External links Marinho, L. C. et al. Tovomita (Clusiaceae) of the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest. Color photographic field guide to some Tovomita species. Field Museum.