Plumbago auriculata (Blue-flowered Plumbago) in Hyderabad, AP W2 IMG 2437

Plumbaginaceae is a family of flowering plants, with a

cosmopolitan distribution In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most of the world in appropriate habitats. Such a taxon, usually a species, is said to exhibit cosmopolitanism or cosmopolitism. The ext ...

. The family is sometimes referred to as the leadwort family or the plumbago family. Most

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

in this family are

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition o ...

plants, but a few grow as lianas or shrubs. The plants have perfect flowers and are pollinated by insects. They are found in many different climatic regions, from arctic to tropical conditions, but are particularly associated with salt-rich steppes, marshes, and sea coasts. The family has been recognized by most taxonomists. 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 Gro ...

(2003; unchanged from 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 APG ...

of 1998), recognizes this family and assigns it 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 betala ...

in the clade core eudicots. It includes ca 30 genera and about 725 species. The 1981

Cronquist system The Cronquist system is a taxonomic classification system of flowering plants. It was developed by Arthur Cronquist in a series of monographs and texts, including ''The Evolution and Classification of Flowering Plants'' (1968; 2nd edition, 1988) ...

placed the family in a separate order

Plumbaginales Plumbaginales is an order of flowering plants. The order is recognized by several systems, such as the Wettstein system, last revised in 1935, the Engler system, in its update of 1964 and the Cronquist system, 1981. Its circumscription is typical ...

, which included no other families. The

Dahlgren system One of the modern systems of plant taxonomy, the Dahlgren system was published by monocot specialist Rolf Dahlgren in 1975 and revised in 1977, and 1980. However, he is best known for his two treatises on monocotyledons in 1982 and revised in 19 ...

had segregated some of these plants as family Limoniaceae.

Genera

*''

Acantholimon ''Acantholimon'' (prickly thrift) is a genus of small flowering plants within the plumbago or leadwort family, Plumbaginaceae. They are distributed from southeastern Europe to central Asia and also in South America, but also cultivated elsewhere ...

'' *''

Aegialitis ''Aegialitis'' is a genus of two shrubby mangrove species, with one native to Southeast Asia and the other native to Australia and Papua New Guinea. Description The two species of the genus are woody mangrove shrubs or small trees that grow ...

'' *'' Afrolimon'' *''

Armeria ''Armeria'' is a genus of flowering plants. These plants are sometimes known as "lady's cushion", "thrift", or "sea pink" (the latter because as they are often found on coastlines). The genus counts over a hundred species, mostly native to the ...

'', the thrifts or seapinks *'' Bamiana'' *''

Bukiniczia ''Bukiniczia cabulica'' is a plant in the plumbago or leadwort family, Plumbaginaceae. It is the sole species in the monotypic genus ''Bukiniczia''. It is a biennial native to Afghanistan and Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the ...

'' *''

Cephalorhizum ''Cephalorhizum'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Plumbaginaceae Plumbaginaceae is a family of flowering plants, with a cosmopolitan distribution. The family is sometimes referred to as the leadwort family or the plumb ...

'' *''

Ceratolimon ''Ceratolimon'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Plumbaginaceae Plumbaginaceae is a family of flowering plants, with a cosmopolitan distribution. The family is sometimes referred to as the leadwort family or the plumbago ...

'' *''

Ceratostigma ''Ceratostigma'' (;), or leadwort, plumbago, is a genus of eight species of flowering plants in the family Plumbaginaceae, native to warm temperate to tropical regions of Africa and Asia. Common names are shared with the genus ''Plumbago''. De ...

'', the leadworts *''

Chaetolimon ''Chaetolimon'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Plumbaginaceae Plumbaginaceae is a family of flowering plants, with a cosmopolitan distribution. The family is sometimes referred to as the leadwort family or the plumbag ...

'' *'' Dictyolimon'' *'' Dyerophytum'' *'' Eremolimon'' *'' Ghaznianthus'' *'' Goniolimon'' *'' Ikonnikovia'' *'' Limoniastrum'' *'' Limoniopsis'' *'' Limonium'' (syn. ''Statice''), the sealavenders *'' Muellerolimon'' *'' Neogontscharovia'' *'' Plumbagella'' *''

Plumbago ''Plumbago'' is a genus of 10–20 species of flowering plants in the family Plumbaginaceae, native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the world. Common names include plumbago and leadwort (names which are also shared by the genus '' Cerat ...

'', the leadworts or plumbagos *'' Popoviolimon'' *'' Psylliostachys'' *'' Saharanthus'' *'' Vassilczenkoa''

Cultivation and uses

Chalk glands are found in this family. The family includes a number of popular garden species, which are grown for their attractive flowers.

References

External links

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Plumbaginaceae in Topwalkslinks at CSDL, Texas
{{Taxonbar, from=Q156141 Caryophyllales families