Catoferia is a small genus of plants in the family Lamiaceae composed of only four species. The majority of the species in this genus are confined to southern Mexico, with one species (Catoferia chiapensis) being recorded from Central America, Colombia and Peru in addition to southern Mexico. The beginning of this genus has been traced back to the Cretaceous era, making the genus around 55 to 65 million years old.[Davidse, G., M. Sousa Sánchez, S. Knapp & F. Chiang Cabrera. 2012. Rubiaceae a Verbenaceae. 4(2): i–xvi, 1–533. In G. Davidse, M. Sousa Sánchez, S. Knapp & F. Chiang Cabrera (eds.) Flora Mesoamericana. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.][Nelson Sutherland, C.H. (2008). Catálogo de las plantes vasculares de Honduras. Espermatofitas: 1-1576. SERNA/Guaymuras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.]
Description
The shrub can usually be identified by its flower's exaggerated, protruding stamens and very large, circular
sepals (the outer layer surrounding the petal). Petals belonging to plants of this genome typically curve inwards, the species are very similar to the genus
Orthosiphon. Shrubs in this group are usually 0.5 and 2 meters tall, with a stem thickness of approximately 3mm. They may also carry spikes ranging from 1.5 to 5.5 centimeters.
Taxonomy
Catoferia was first named and described in full by
George Bentham in 1876.
Species
As of 2023, Plants of the World Online accepts four species of Catoferia.
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Catoferia capitata (Benth.) Hemsl. - Veracruz, Oaxaca,
[García-Mendoza, A. J. & J. Meave del Castillo. 2011. Diversidad Florística de Oaxaca: de Musgos a Angispermas 1–351. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria] Chiapas, Belize, Guatemala, Peru
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Catoferia chiapensis A.Gray ex Benth. - Chiapas, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras
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Catoferia martinezii Ramamoorthy - Guerrero
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Catoferia spicata (Benth.) Benth. - Colombia, Peru
