Taxonomy
Cluster of male Elatostema fengshanense flowers showing how the flowers are borne in a sculpted cup-like structure formed by the fusion of their stalks and the cluster’s branches. The flowers poke out of the top of the cup, and when mature, open explosively releasing a small cloud of pollen. © Alex Monro.
Elatostema looks most similar to the following genera:
- Procris
- Pellionia
- Pilea
Preliminary data from DNA sequence studies indicate that it is likely Procris, Pellionia and Elatostema should be grouped together as a single genus.