Deeringia is a genus of woody climbing plants in the family Amaranthaceae (the amaranth family), placed in the order Caryophyllales. The genus comprises around ten accepted species, native to tropical Asia, the western Pacific, Australia, and Madagascar.
Plants in the genus are woody climbers with alternate leaves. The flowers are small, unisexual or bisexual, sessile, and borne in spikes that are arranged in terminal or axillary panicles. Bracts are small and papery. Each flower has five free perianth segments and five stamens whose filaments are united at the base. The ovary is superior, one-locular, with three styles. The fruit is a many-seeded berry, a distinctive characteristic within Amaranthaceae, where fleshy fruits are uncommon.
Notable species include Deeringia amaranthoides, a widespread species occurring from tropical Asia to Australia known for its glabrous stems and smooth seeds, Deeringia polysperma, found across tropical Asia, and Deeringia spicata, occurring across the western Indian Ocean and Pacific islands.
Distribution
Deeringia is native to tropical Asia, the western Pacific, Australia, and Madagascar. In Australia the genus is represented by two species (D. arborescens and D. amaranthoides) confined to Queensland and New South Wales. Globally, the approximately 12 recognised species span Madagascar, Malesia, and the broader tropical Asia–Pacific region.
Taxonomy Notes
The genus Deeringia was described by Robert Brown and is placed in the family Amaranthaceae, order Caryophyllales. It belongs to a lineage within Amaranthaceae notable for producing fleshy berries — unusual in a family where dry, one-seeded fruits are the norm. As of November 2025, Plants of the World Online accepts ten species.
