Polygalaceae
Family of flowering plants
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Polygalaceae or the milkwort family are made up of flowering plants in the order Fabales. They have a near-cosmopolitan range, with about 27 genera and ca. 900 known species[2] of herbs, shrubs and trees. Over half of the species are in one genus, Polygala, the milkworts.
| Polygalaceae | |
|---|---|
| |
| Securidaca longepedunculata | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Polygalaceae Hoffmanns. & Link[1] |
| Type genus | |
| Polygala | |
| Tribes | |
 | |
| Distribution of the Polygalaceae | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The family was first described in 1809 by Johann Hoffmansegg and Johann Link.[3] In 1896, Robert Chodat split it into three tribes. A fourth tribe was split off from the tribe Polygaleae in 1992.[4] Under the Cronquist classification system, Polygalaceae were treated in a separate order of their own, Polygalales. Currently, according to the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, the family belongs in Fabales.
Description
Polygalaceae are annual or perennial herbs, shrubs, trees or lianas.[5] Its zygomorphic, hermaphrodite, bisexual flowers have three to five petals and five sepals.[6][7] Its leaves are usually alternate, but may be opposite, fascicled, or verticillate.[6] Each flower usually contains eight stamens, though this may range from three to ten. They are usually in two series.[7] The fruits of each plant can be a capsule, samara, or drupe.[6]
Tribes and genera
The Polygalaceae comprise the following genera,[6] with tribes based on various sources.[8][9][10][11][12][13]
- Carpolobieae Eriksen
- Atroxima Stapf
- Carpolobia G. Don
- Moutabeae Chodat
- Barnhartia Gleason
- Diclidanthera Mart.
- Eriandra P. Royen & Steenis
- Moutabea Aubl.
- Polygaleae Chodat
- Acanthocladus Klotzsch ex Hassk.
- Ancylotropis B.Eriksen
- Asemeia Raf.
- Badiera DC.
- Bredemeyera Willd.
- Caamembeca J.F.B. Pastore
- Chamaebuxus Tourn. (synonym Polygaloides Haller)
- Comesperma Labill.
- Epirixanthes Blume
- Gymnospora (Chodat) J.F.B.Pastore
- Hebecarpa (Chodat) J.R.Abbott
- Heterosamara Kuntze
- Hualania Phil.
- Monnina Ruiz & Pav.
- Monrosia Grondona
- Muraltia DC.
- Phlebotaenia Griseb.
- Polygala L.
- Rhamphopetalum J.F.B.Pastore & M.Mota
- Rhinotropis (S.F. Blake) J.R. Abbott
- Salomonia Lour.
- Securidaca L.
- Xanthophylleae Chodat
- Xanthophyllum Roxb.
- Tribe not assigned
- Senega (DC.) Spach
Fossils
- †Deviacer Manchester
- †Paleosecuridaca Pigg, Kathleen B., M.L. DeVore & M.F. Wojc. 2008
Systematics
Modern molecular phylogenetics suggest the following relationships:[13][14][15][16][17][18]
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