Cephalanthus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae.
[3][4] They are shrubs or small trees growing to 5–15 m (16–49 ft) tall.
[citation needed] Cephalanthus occidentalis is native to the eastern United States and Canada.
The others occur in tropical regions of the Americas, Africa and Asia.
[11] The following five extant species are accepted:[1][4][12] Sixteen fossil mericarps of †Cephalanthus pusillus have been described from middle Miocene strata of the Fasterholt area near Silkeborg in Central Jutland, Denmark.