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Remijia

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Remijia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Rubiaceae
Subfamily: Cinchonoideae
Tribe: Cinchoneae
Genus: Remijia
DC.
Species

45 species; see text.

Remijia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. Within the family, it is a member of the subfamily Cinchonoideae and the tribe Cinchoneae.

There are about 36 species in Remijia.[1] They are native to Peru and Brazil. Some of the species have hollow stems that harbor ants.[2]

The bark of Remijia contains 0.5%–2% of quinine, a chemical substance often used as a medicinal drug and flavour additive in tonic water. It is cheaper than the bark of Cinchona, another source of quinine. Because of its intense flavor, the bark of Remijia is used in making tonic water.[3]

No type species has ever been designated for Remijia. In 2005, two species were transferred from Remijia to a new genus, Ciliosemina.[4]

Species

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There are 45 recognised species:[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Remijia". World Checklist of Rubiaceae At. Kew Gardens. Archived from the original on 2011-01-01.
  2. ^ David J. Mabberley. 2008. Mabberley's Plant-Book third edition (2008). Cambridge University Press: UK. ISBN 978-0-521-82071-4
  3. ^ Henry Hobhouse (2004) Šest rostlin, které změnily svět. Academia, Akademie věd České republiky, Praha, ISBN 80-200-1179-X, page 59. in Czech
  4. ^ Andersson, Lennart; Antonelli, Alexandre (2005). "Phylogeny of the tribe Cinchoneae (Rubiaceae), its position in Cinchonoideae, and description of a new genus, Ciliosemina". Taxon. 54 (1): 17–28. doi:10.2307/25065299. JSTOR 25065299.
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