Cabobanthus is a small genus of flowering plants in the daisy family Asteraceae, placed in the order Asterales. Native to tropical Africa, the genus comprises only a handful of species — Cabobanthus bullulatus and Cabobanthus polysphaerus — that were formerly included within the large and heterogeneous genus Vernonia before being segregated into their own genus by H. Robinson. The reclassification reflects ongoing efforts to resolve the boundaries of Vernonia sensu lato, a historically expansive group in the tribe Vernonieae that has been progressively split into numerous smaller, more natural genera. Cabobanthus species are herbaceous or woody plants bearing the characteristic composite flower heads of the Asteraceae, typically with small purple or violet disc florets arranged in rounded clusters.
Distribution
Cabobanthus is native to tropical Africa. No finer-scale range data was available from the sources consulted.
Taxonomy Notes
Cabobanthus was established by H. Robinson to accommodate species previously placed in Vernonia (family Asteraceae, tribe Vernonieae). Plants of the World Online recognises two species: Cabobanthus bullulatus (S.Moore) H.Rob. and Cabobanthus polysphaerus (Baker) H.Rob. The segregation of Cabobanthus from the broadly circumscribed Vernonia is part of a wider revision of Vernonieae that has created numerous smaller genera in place of the older catch-all concept.
