Griseb. Schoepfia flexuosa (Ruiz & Pav.) Roem. & Schult. Schoepfia fragrans Wall. Schoepfia griffithii Tiegh. ex Steenis Schoepfia haitiensis Urb. & Britton Schoepfia harrisii Urb. Schoepfia jasminodora Siebold & Zucc. Schoepfia lucida Pulle Schoepfia macrophylla Lundell Schoepfia multiflora Urb. Schoepfia obovata C.Wright - white beefwood Schoepfia paradoxa (Bisse & Berazaín) Berazaín ex Acev.-Rodr. Schoepfia parvifolia Planch. Schoepfia pringlei B.L.Rob. Schoepfia schreberi J.F.Gmel. - gulf graytwig Schoepfia scopulorum Alain Schoepfia shreveana Wiggins Schoepfia stenophylla Urb. Schoepfia tepuiensis Steyerm. Schoepfia tetramera Herzog Schoepfia vacciniiflora Planch. ex Hemsl. Schoepfia velutina Sandwith Distribution The genus has a discontinuous distribution, being native to the Himalayas through China, Japan and Taiwan to Sumatra, and to tropical and subtropical America. The genus is most diverse in tropical America. Three species occur in territories belonging to the United States: Schoepfia arenaria, S. obovata and S. schreberi; S. schreberi occurs in Florida and the Caribbean, the other two are only found in the US Caribbean possessions. Ecology Species in this genus are root hemiparasites, deriving a portion of their nutrition by invading the roots and stealing the nutrients of neighbouring plants. They do not appear to be very particular in choice of host plants. A 1979 study of Schoepfia schreberi in Florida and the Bahamas found haustoria (specialised organs on the roots used for parasitism) connected to ten different species, belonging to eight different botanical families. Haustoria were also firmly welded to the wrong things: rocks, buried pipes, concrete building foundations, etc. The young leaves of the S. schreberi are fed upon by the balloon-collared caterpillars of the metalmark butterfly Calydna sturnula, which are only known to feed upon this species. References Schoepfiaceae Santalales genera