Sophora - WikiHQ

Sophora is a genus of about 45 species of small trees and shrubs in the pea family Fabaceae. The species have a pantropical distribution. The generic name is derived from , an Arabic name for a pea-flowered tree.

The genus formerly had a broader interpretation including many other species now treated in other genera, notably Styphnolobium (pagoda tree genus), which differs in lacking nitrogen fixing bacteria (rhizobia) on the roots, and Dermatophyllum (the mescalbeans). Styphnolobium has galactomannans as seed polysaccharide reserve, in contrast Sophora contains arabinogalactans, and Dermatophyllum amylose.

The New Zealand Sophora species are known as kōwhai.

The seeds of species such as Sophora affinis and Sophora chrysophylla are reported to be poisonous.

Fossil record

One Sophora fossil seed pod from the middle Eocene epoch has been described from the Miller clay pit in Henry County, Tennessee, United States.

Species

Sophora comprises the following species:

Sophora albescens
Sophora albopetiolulata
Sophora alopecuroides —sophora root
var. alopecuroides
var. tomentosa
Sophora bakeri
Sophora benthamii
Sophora brachygyna
Sophora cassioides —Pelú (Chile)
Sophora chathamica —coastal kowhai (New Zealand)
Sophora chrysophylla —Māmane (Hawaii)
Sophora davidi
Sophora denudata
Sophora dunii
Sophora exigua
Sophora fernandeziana (Juan Fernández Islands)
var. fernandeziana
var. reedeana
Sophora flavescens —ku shen (Eastern Asia)
var. flavescens
var. galegoides
var. kronei
Sophora franchetiana
Sophora fraseri
Sophora fulvida —Waitakere kowhai (New Zealand)
Sophora gibbosa
Sophora godleyi—Godley kowhai, papa kowhai (New Zealand)
Sophora howinsula —lignum vitae, Lord Howe kowhai
Sophora huamotensis
Sophora inhambanensis
Sophora interrupta
Sophora jaubertii
Sophora koreensis – Korean necklace pod
Sophora leachiana
Sophora linearifolia
Sophora longicarinata —limestone kowhai (New Zealand)
Sophora longipes
Sophora macnabiana
Sophora macrocarpa — mayo or mayú (Chile)
Sophora mangarevaensis (French Polynesia)
Sophora masafuerana (Juan Fernández Islands)
Sophora microcarpa
Sophora microphylla —small-leaved kowhai (New Zealand)
Sophora mollis
subsp. griffithii
subsp. mollis
Sophora molloyi—Cook Strait Kowhai (New Zealand)
Sophora moorcroftiana
Sophora nuttalliana
Sophora oblongata
Sophora pachycarpa
Sophora praetorulosa
Sophora prostrata —dwarf kowhai, prostrate kowhai (New Zealand)
Sophora raivavaeensis (French Polynesia)
Sophora rapaensis (French Polynesia)
Sophora reedeana
Sophora rhynchocarpa (unplaced)
Sophora saxicola (Jamaica)
Sophora secundiflora, a popular landscape plant, was reclassified to Dermatophyllum secundiflorum.
Sophora songarica
Sophora stenophylla
Sophora tetraptera —large-leaved kowhai, Taupo kowhai (New Zealand)
Sophora tomentosa —necklace pod (Pantropical on coasts)
subsp. littoralis
subsp. occidentalis
subsp. tomentosa
Sophora tonkinensis
Sophora toromiro —toromiro (Easter Island)
Sophora velutina
subsp. cavaleriei
subsp. velutina
subsp. zimbabweensis
Sophora violacea
Sophora wightii (India)
Sophora xanthoantha
Sophora yunnanensis
Sophora zeylanica

<!--Sophora acuminata was reclassified as Sophora benthamii.

Sophora affinis was reclassified as Styphnolobium affine.

Sophora alba was reclassified as Baptisia alba.

Sophora albicans is a synonym of Sophora alopecuroides var. alopecuroides

Sophora alpina was reclassified as Thermopsis alpina.

Sophora ambigua is a synonym of Sophora velutina subsp. velutina

Sophora angulata was reclassified as Erythrostemon angulatus

Sophora angustifolia was reclassified as Sophora flavescens.

Sophora arenicola was reclassified as Sophora tomentosa.

Sophora argentea was reclassified as Ammodendron bifolium.

Sophora arizonica was reclassified as Dermatophyllum arizonicum.

Sophora aurea was reclassified as Calpurnia aurea.

Sophora australis was reclassified as Baptisia australis.

Sophora bhutanica was reclassified as Sophora prazeri.

Sophora bifolia was reclassified as Ammodendron bifolium.

Sophora buxbaumii was reclassified as Sophora mollis.

Sophora caerulea was reclassified as Baptisia australis.

Sophora calyptrata was reclassified as Podalyria calyptrata.

Sophora capensis was reclassified as Virgilia oroboides.

Sophora carnosa was reclassified as Sophora nuttalliana.

Sophora cavaleriei was reclassified as Sophora velutina.

Sophora conzattii was reclassified as Styphnolobium conzattii.

Sophora crassifolia was reclassified as Sophora tomentosa.

Sophora dispar was reclassified as Sophora dunnii.

Sophora duclouxii was reclassified as Sophora prazeri.

Sophora fometosa is a misspelling of Sophora tomentosa.

Sophora formosa was reclassified as Dermatophyllum arizonicum.

Sophora fabacea was reclassified as Thermopsis lupinoides.

Sophora galegoides was reclassified as Sophora flavescens.

Sophora galioides was reclassified as Cyclopia galioides.

Sophora genistoides was reclassified as Cyclopia genistoides.

Sophora glauca was reclassified as Sophora albescens and Sophora velutina.

Sophora griffithii was reclassified as Sophora mollis.

Sophora gypsophila was reclassified as Dermatophyllum gypsophilum.

Sophora havanensis was reclassified as Sophora tomentosa.

Sophora heptaphylla was reclassified as Aganope heptaphylla, Sophora wightii, and Sophora zeylanica.

Sophora heterophylla was reclassified as Sophora wightii.

Sophora hortensis was reclassified as Sophora mollis.

Sophora japonica was reclassified as Styphnolobium japonicum.

Sophora juanhintoniana was reclassified as Dermatophyllum juanhintonianum.

Sophora juncea was reclassified as Viminaria juncea.

Sophora kentukea was reclassified as Cladrastis kentukea.

Sophora korolkowii was reclassified as Styphnolobium japonicum.

Sophora kronei was reclassified as Sophora flavescens.

Sophora lanceolata was reclassified as Baptisia lanceolata.

Sophora lehmanni is a misspelling of Sophora lehmannii, which was reclassified as Ammothamnus lehmannii.

Sophora lehmannii was reclassified as Ammothamnus lehmanni.

Sophora littoralis was reclassified as Sophora tomentosa.

Sophora lupinoides was reclassified as Thermopsis lupinoides.

Sophora mairei was reclassified as Sophora prazeri.

Sophora monosperma was reclassified as Ormosia monosperma.

Sophora nitens was reclassified as Sophora tomentosa.

Sophora nitida was reclassified as Sophora denudata.

Sophora occidentalis was reclassified as Sophora tomentosa.

Sophora oligosperma was reclassified as Sophora albo-petiolulata.

Sophora orientalis was reclassified as Sophora alopecuroides.

Sophora oroboides was reclassified as Virgilia oroboides.

Sophora pallida was reclassified as Sophora alopecuroides.

Sophora perfoliata was reclassified as Baptisia perfoliata.

Sophora philippinensis was reclassified as Sophora velutina.

Sophora platycarpa was reclassified as Cladrastis platycarpa.

Sophora prodanii was reclassified as Sophora jaubertii.

Sophora purpusii was reclassified as Dermatophyllum purpusii.

Sophora raivavaensis is a misspelling of Sophora raivavaeensis.

Sophora retusa was reclassified as Sophora denudata.

Sophora rubriflora was reclassified as Sophora violacea.

Sophora secundiflora was reclassified as Dermatophyllum secundiflorum.

Sophora sempervirens was reclassified as Sophora secundiflora.

Sophora sericea was reclassified as Podalyria sericea, Sophora denudata, and Sophora nuttalliana.

Sophora shikokiana was reclassified as Cladrastis shikokiana.

Sophora sinensis was reclassified as Styphnolobium japonicum.

Sophora somalensis was reclassified as Millettia usaramensis.

Sophora songorica was reclassified as Ammothamnus songoricus.

Sophora speciosa was reclassified as Sophora secundiflora.

Sophora subprostrata was reclassified as Sophora tonkinensis.

Sophora sylvatica was reclassified as Calpurnia aurea.

Sophora tinctoria was reclassified as Baptisia tinctoria.

Sophora tometosa is a misspelling of Sophora tomentosa.

Sophora viciaefolia is a misspelling of Sophora viciifolia, which was reclassified as Sophora davidii.

Sophora viciifolia was reclassified as Sophora davidii.

Sophora villosa was reclassified as Thermopsis villosa.

Sophora wilsonii was reclassified as Sophora prazeri.

Sophora xanthantha is a misspelling of Sophora xanthoantha. Ref. http://www.ipni.org/ipni/idPlantNameSearch.do?id=901028-1&back_page=%2Fipni%2FeditAdvPlantNameSearch.do%3Ffind_infragenus%3D%26find_geoUnit%3D%26find_includePublicationAuthors%3Dtrue%26find_addedSince%3D%26find_family%3D%26find_genus%3DSophora%26find_infrafamily%3D%26find_rankToReturn%3Dspec%26find_publicationTitle%3D%26find_authorAbbrev%3D%26find_infraspecies%3D%26find_includeBasionymAuthors%3Dtrue%26find_modifiedSince%3D%26find_species%3Dxanthoantha%26output_format%3Dnormal

Sophora zambesiaca was reclassified as Xanthocercis zambesiaca.-->

Species names with uncertain taxonomic status

The status of the following species is unresolved: