Lasiodiscus
# Lasiodiscus

Lasiodiscus, commonly known as red-hair bushes, is a small plant genus in the family Rhamnaceae. It is endemic to Africa and its adjacent islands.

## Description

The small trees have opposite, often asymmetric leaves. As with Colubrina, the flower ovaries are surrounded by a nectariferous disc that fills the receptacle.

## Habitat

They regularly occur in the understorey of tropical forests, or alternatively in swamp forest. One species, L. rozeirae, is limited to mountain forest understorey.

## Relationships

Lasiodiscus is morphologically similar to Colubrina, which occurs in the Neotropics, Asia and Afrotropics, but preliminary molecular analysis failed to group them as nearest relatives.

## Species

There are 9 accepted species:

* Lasiodiscus chevalieri Hutch. –
* Lasiodiscus fasciculiflorus Engl. – Sierra Leone to Nigeria, w Cameroon and D.R.C.
* Lasiodiscus holtzii Engl. – East Africa
* Lasiodiscus mannii Hook. – central Africa
* Lasiodiscus marmoratus C.H. Wright – Cameroon
* Lasiodiscus mildbraedii Engl. – African tropics and locally along east coast to South Africa
* Lasiodiscus pervillei Baill. – Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion and Comores

    L. p. pervillei – widespread in Madagascar
    L. p. ferrugineus (Verdc.) Figueiredo – local and vulnerable in East Africa
* Lasiodiscus rozeirae A.W. Exell – São Tomé in Gulf of Guinea, vulnerable
* Lasiodiscus usambarensis Engl. – Usambara Mountains and locally to Zimbabwe
