The Muntingiaceae are a family 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, belonging to the rosid order Malvales. The family consists of three genera: ''

Dicraspidia ''Dicraspidia'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Muntingiaceae The Muntingiaceae are a family of flowering plants, belonging to the rosid order Malvales. The family consists of three genera: ''Dicraspidia'', ''Mu ...

'', ''

Muntingia ''Muntingia'' is a genus of plants in the family Muntingiaceae, comprising only one species, ''Muntingia calabura'', and was named in honour of Abraham Munting. It is native to the Neotropical realm, neotropics, from Mexico south to Bolivia, with ...

'', and ''

Neotessmannia ''Neotessmannia'' is a genus of trees in the family Muntingiaceae, comprising only one species, ''Neotessmannia uniflora''. It is native to Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Pe ...

'', each with a single species. They are woody plants of the tropical regions of America. The older Cronquist system placed these genera in the family

Tiliaceae Tiliaceae () is a family of flowering plants. It is not a part of the APG, APG II and APG III classifications, being sunk in Malvaceae mostly as the subfamilies Tilioideae, Brownlowioideae and Grewioideae, but has an extensive historical record o ...

, with which they share morphological similarities, but have no evolutionary affinity. ''

Muntingia calabura ''Muntingia'' is a genus of plants in the family Muntingiaceae, comprising only one species, ''Muntingia calabura'', and was named in honour of Abraham Munting. It is native to the Neotropical realm, neotropics, from Mexico south to Bolivia, with ...

'' is widely introduced in tropical regions, because of its edible fruit. ''Dicraspidia donnell-smithii'' and ''Neotessmannia uniflora'' are the other two species in the family, the latter only known from herbarium specimens.

References

External links

Muntingiaceae
i
L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants: descriptions, illustrations, identification, information retrieval.
Malvales families {{Malvales-stub