Erithalis orbiculata
species of plant
Erithalis orbiculata, synonym Exostema orbiculatum, is a species of plant in the family Rubiaceae. It is a shrub or small tree which grows up to 3 metres tall that is endemic to Jamaica. It grows on forested limestone hills in the central highlands of Jamaica from 600 to 800 metres elevation. It is known from only three locations, and the IUCN Red List assesses the species as Critically Endangered.
The species was first described as Exostema orbiculatum by George Richardson Proctor in 1982. In 2017 Alan R. Franck, Patrick A. Lewis, and Andreas Oberli placed the species in genus Erithalis as Erithalis orbiculata.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Erithalis orbiculata” as species of plant. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the science & nature register because the source frames it as species of plant. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 17, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5420694. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1982 and 2017.
A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Erithalis orbiculata”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Erithalis orbiculata primary sources, Erithalis orbiculata archive and Erithalis research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Erithalis orbiculata” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.