Putterlickia, variously called spikethorns, false spike thorns, mock spike thorns and bastard spike thorns, are a genus of flowering plants in the staff vine and bittersweet family Celastraceae, native to South Africa, Eswatini and Mozambique. Endophytic bacteria in their roots produce maytansine.[2][3]
Species
Five species are accepted:[4]
- Putterlickia neglecta Jordaan, R.G.C.Boon & A.E.van Wyk
- Putterlickia pyracantha (L.) Szyszyl.
- Putterlickia retrospinosa A.E.van Wyk & Mostert
- Putterlickia saxatilis (Burch.) Jordaan
- Putterlickia verrucosa (E.Mey. ex Harv. & Sond.) Sim
References
- ^ Gen. Pl.: 1086 (1840)
- ^ Jacobowitz, Joseph R.; Weng, Jing-Ke (2020). “Exploring Uncharted Territories of Plant Specialized Metabolism in the Postgenomic Era”. Annual Review of Plant Biology. 71: 631–658. doi:10.1146/annurev-arplant-081519-035634. PMID 32176525.
- ^ Kubitzki, Klaus (11 November 2013). The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants: Flowering Plants. Dicotyledons: Celastrales, Oxalidales, Rosales, Cornales, Ericales. Vol. VI. Springer. p. 52. ISBN 9783662072578.
- ^ “Putterlickia Endl”. Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 1 April 2026.