The Molluginaceae are a
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
s recognized by several taxonomists. It was previously included in the larger family
Aizoaceae
The Aizoaceae, or fig-marigold family, is a large family of dicotyledonous flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is d ...
. The
APG III system
The APG III system of flowering plant classification is the third version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy being developed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG). Published in 2009, it was superseded in 2016 by a fur ...
of 2009 made no change in the status of the family as compared to the
APG II system
The APG II system (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group II system) of plant classification is the second, now obsolete, version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy that was published in April 2003 by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Gr ...
of 2003 and the
APG system
The APG system (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system) of plant classification is the first version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy. Published in 1998 by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, it was replaced by the improved AP ...
of 1998, apart from a reassignment of several genera, such as the placement of ''
Corrigiola
''Corrigiola'', the strapworts, are a genus of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, with a highly disjunct distribution in Mexico, South America, southern and eastern Africa, Madagascar, northwestern Africa, Europe and western Asia. To ...
'' and ''
Telephium'' into
Caryophyllaceae
Caryophyllaceae, commonly called the pink family or carnation family, is a family of flowering plants. It is included in the dicotyledon order Caryophyllales in the APG III system, alongside 33 other families, including Amaranthaceae, Cactacea ...
, ''
Corbichonia'' in
Lophiocarpaceae, ''
Microtea'' into
Microteaceae
''Microtea'', the jumby peppers, are a genus of flowering plants in the family Microteaceae, native to the Caribbean islands, Central America, and South America.
Species
''Microtea'' was originally placed in the Phytolaccaceae, but now have the ...
and ''
Limeum'' in
Limeaceae
''Limeum'' is a genus of flowering plants. It includes 25 species.
''Limeum'' has traditionally been recognized as belonging to the Molluginaceae family, but is now treated as the sole genus in the family Limeaceae. The family is newly recognize ...
, because the family was found to be widely polyphyletic in Caryophyllales. In addition ''
Macarthuria
''Macarthuria'' is a genus of dicotyledonous plants belonging to the family Macarthuriaceae, and consists of about 9 species which are endemic to Australia.
Description
Plants in the genus, ''Macarthuria'', are rigid or wiry herbs or subshrubs. ...
'' was found not to be related to ''
Limeum'' as previously thought and thus it was placed in
Macarthuriaceae
Macarthuriaceae is a family of plants in the order Caryophyllales and consists of a single genus, '' Macarthuria''.
Description
Macarthuriaceae are rigid or wiry, rush-like herbs or subshrubs with green stems and reduced leaves. The small flower ...
, and similarly species formerly placed in ''
Hypertelis
''Hypertelis'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Molluginaceae. Most of its former species have been transferred to the new genus '' Kewa'', and the remaining species, ''Hypertelis spergulacea'', may also need a different placement. '' ...
'', apart from
type species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...
''Hypertelis spergulacea'', a true Molluginaceae, were found to belong elsewhere and were described as ''
Kewa'' in the family
Kewaceae
''Kewa'' is a genus of flowering plants, consisting of eight species of succulent sub-woody plants, native to eastern and southern Africa, including Saint Helena and Madagascar. These are small shrubs or herbs that form cushions and have edible, ...
, named for the
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. An internationally important botanical research and education institution, it employs 1,100 ...
.
Molluginaceae is still assigned to the order
Caryophyllales
Caryophyllales ( ) is a diverse and heterogeneous order of flowering plants that includes the cacti, carnations, amaranths, ice plants, beets, and many carnivorous plants. Many members are succulent, having fleshy stems or leaves. The betalai ...
in the clade
core eudicots
The eudicots, Eudicotidae, or eudicotyledons are a clade of flowering plants mainly characterized by having two seed leaves upon germination. The term derives from Dicotyledons.
Traditionally they were called tricolpates or non-magnoliid dicots ...
, although the generic circumscription is difficult because ''
Mollugo
''Mollugo'' is a genus in the flowering plant family Molluginaceae. It comprises a few dozen species of herbaceous plant
Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants in ...
'' is not monophyletic.
Genera
Molluginaceae in its current circumscription includes ca 9 genera and ca 80 known species
* ''
Adenogramma'' Rchb.
* ''
Coelanthum'' E.Mey. ex Fenzl
* ''
Glinus'' L.
* ''
Glischrothamnus'' Pilg.
* ''
Hypertelis
''Hypertelis'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Molluginaceae. Most of its former species have been transferred to the new genus '' Kewa'', and the remaining species, ''Hypertelis spergulacea'', may also need a different placement. '' ...
'' E.Mey. ex Fenzl
* ''
Mollugo
''Mollugo'' is a genus in the flowering plant family Molluginaceae. It comprises a few dozen species of herbaceous plant
Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants in ...
'' L.
* ''
Pharnaceum'' L.
* ''
Polpoda'' C.Presl
* ''
Psammotropha
''Psammotropha'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Molluginaceae.
Its native range is Tanzania to Southern Africa.
Species:
*''Psammotropha alternifolia''
*''Psammotropha anguina''
*''Psammotropha diffusa''
*''Psammotro ...
'' Eckl. & Zeyh.
* ''
Suessenguthiella'' Friedrich
Excluded genera
* ''
Corbichonia'' Scop. (now correctly placed in
Lophiocarpaceae)
* ''
Corrigiola
''Corrigiola'', the strapworts, are a genus of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, with a highly disjunct distribution in Mexico, South America, southern and eastern Africa, Madagascar, northwestern Africa, Europe and western Asia. To ...
'' L. (now correctly placed in
Caryophyllaceae
Caryophyllaceae, commonly called the pink family or carnation family, is a family of flowering plants. It is included in the dicotyledon order Caryophyllales in the APG III system, alongside 33 other families, including Amaranthaceae, Cactacea ...
)
* ''
Kewa'' Christenh. (correctly placed in
Kewaceae
''Kewa'' is a genus of flowering plants, consisting of eight species of succulent sub-woody plants, native to eastern and southern Africa, including Saint Helena and Madagascar. These are small shrubs or herbs that form cushions and have edible, ...
)
* ''
Limeum'' L. (now correctly placed in
Limeaceae
''Limeum'' is a genus of flowering plants. It includes 25 species.
''Limeum'' has traditionally been recognized as belonging to the Molluginaceae family, but is now treated as the sole genus in the family Limeaceae. The family is newly recognize ...
)
* ''
Macarthuria
''Macarthuria'' is a genus of dicotyledonous plants belonging to the family Macarthuriaceae, and consists of about 9 species which are endemic to Australia.
Description
Plants in the genus, ''Macarthuria'', are rigid or wiry herbs or subshrubs. ...
'' Hugel ex Endl. (now correctly placed in
Macarthuriaceae
Macarthuriaceae is a family of plants in the order Caryophyllales and consists of a single genus, '' Macarthuria''.
Description
Macarthuriaceae are rigid or wiry, rush-like herbs or subshrubs with green stems and reduced leaves. The small flower ...
* ''
Orygia'' Forssk. = ''
Corbichonia'' Scop. (
Lophiocarpaceae)
* ''
Semonvillea'' J.Gay = ''
Limeum'' L. (
Limeaceae
''Limeum'' is a genus of flowering plants. It includes 25 species.
''Limeum'' has traditionally been recognized as belonging to the Molluginaceae family, but is now treated as the sole genus in the family Limeaceae. The family is newly recognize ...
)
* ''
Telephium'' L. (now correctly placed in
Caryophyllaceae
Caryophyllaceae, commonly called the pink family or carnation family, is a family of flowering plants. It is included in the dicotyledon order Caryophyllales in the APG III system, alongside 33 other families, including Amaranthaceae, Cactacea ...
)
Genera listed in Tropicos
Tropicos currently includes 12 genera.
Notes:
References
External links
*
*
links at CSDL
{{Taxonbar, from=Q144259
Caryophyllales families