Melastomataceae: Global Diversity, Distribution, and Endemism

Abstract

The Melastomataceae, with some 5858 species, are among the 10 largest families of flowering plants. Melastomes are subcosmopolitan and mainly distributed in the tropics and subtropics, with a majority of the species in the Neotropics. The family consists of 173 genera, and, as currently understood, it is divided into 3 clades (subfamilies): the Kibessioideae (15 species), the Olisbeoideae (556 species), and the Melastomatoideae (5287 species) with the majority of the species grouped into 21 tribes. About 64% of the species occur in the Americas, 25% in Asia and Oceania, 5.5% in Madagascar, and 5.5% in Africa, without any genus native to both the New World and Old World. The family is an important component of tropical ecosystems, especially humid forests, and occurs from sea level to high mountain elevations. Although it occurs in seasonally dry habitats, it does not occur in true desert environments. Members of the Melastomataceae are mostly herbs and shrubs, but there are also climbing lianas, epiphytes, hemiepiphytes, and small-to-emergent trees. In this chapter, we combine our expertise and research to present an overview of the worldwide taxonomic diversity of the Melastomataceae, including the number of genera and species, geographical distribution, and the main centers of species richness.