Catoferia
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 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.
Description
The shrub can usually be identified by its flower's exaggerated, protruding stamens and very large, circular sepals. 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. Catoferia capitata Hemsl. - Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Belize, Guatemala, PeruCatoferia chiapensis A.Gray ex Benth. - Chiapas, Guatemala, El Salvador, HondurasCatoferia martinezii Ramamoorthy - GuerreroCatoferia spicata Benth. - Colombia, Peru