Oreophyton is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Brassicaceae (the mustard family).
Taxonomy and Species: The genus includes a single accepted species, Oreophyton falcatum (formerly classified under synonyms such as Arabis falcata, Braya falcata, Hesperis falcosa, and Sisymbrium falcatum). It was described by O.E. Schulz.
Description: It is a perennial herbaceous plant.
Distribution: The species is native to montane tropical Africa, with a range extending from Ethiopia through Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It grows primarily in montane tropical biomes.
Recent Taxonomic Developments: A 2025 study published in Annals of Botany ("Murbeckiella is dead, long live Oreophyton: origin and systematics of ...") has proposed that the genus Murbeckiella is poly- and paraphyletic, and the majority of its species have been taxonomically integrated into a newly defined genus Oreophyton. Under this revised concept, Oreophyton would encompass multiple species previously placed in Murbeckiella, with the exception of Murbeckiella sousae, which belongs to a distinct tribe (Arabideae). This indicates that the circumscription of the genus is currently under active revision.
