Phylloxylon is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Indigofereae of the legume family Fabaceae (subfamily Faboideae). The genus was first described by Henri Ernest Baillon in 1861, with Phylloxylon decipiens designated as the type species.
All known species of Phylloxylon are endemic to Madagascar, where they occur in a range of habitats from seasonally dry to humid tropical forests and woodlands, often on sandy or rocky, limestone outcrops. The genus comprises seven accepted species:
- Phylloxylon arenicola Du Puy, Labat & Schrire
- Phylloxylon decipiens Baillon
- Phylloxylon perrieri Drake
- Phylloxylon phillipsonii Du Puy, Labat & Schrire
- Phylloxylon spinosa Du Puy, Labat & Schrire
- Phylloxylon xiphoclada (Baker) Du Puy, Labat & Schrire
- Phylloxylon xylophylloides (Baker) Du Puy, Labat & Schrire
Phylogenetic studies place Phylloxylon as a basal lineage within Indigofereae, retaining several plesiomorphic characters relative to other genera in the tribe. The genus is of particular interest for biogeographic and evolutionary research on the endemic flora of Madagascar.
References: Wikipedia entry on Phylloxylon; Plants of the World Online (Kew Science); phylogenetic literature on Indigofereae.