deratingia

Deratingia is a fictional genus of flowering plants created for illustrative purposes in botanical texts. It is not recognized as a real taxon in major databases. In this constructed scheme, Deratingia belongs to the family Deratingiaceae, a placeholder family used to discuss plant diversification. The genus is depicted as monotypic, containing a single species, Deratingia montana.

Description: Deratingia montana is described as a small deciduous shrub, typically 1–2 meters tall, with oval leaves bearing finely serrated margins. The inflorescences are loose panicles of small, white to pale pink flowers; the fruit is a dry capsule that releases seeds when mature.

Habitat and distribution: In fictional accounts, it occurs in temperate montane forests of a hypothetical region at elevations of 1200–2100 meters. Ecology: Pollination is attributed to native bees, and seed dispersal is wind-driven once capsules dehisce.

Taxonomic notes: Because the genus is not part of real-world nomenclature, it appears variably in educational materials—some treatments place it near Rosaceae and others in an undefined lineage. Etymology: The name Deratingia is a constructed genus name following standard suffix conventions in botanical nomenclature; the epithet montana indicates a montane habitat.

See also: hypothetical taxa, educational examples. References: used in teaching materials; no formal citations exist.