The subfamily Spiraeoideae was traditionally a subfamily 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 within the family Rosaceae. The taxonomy of this subfamily has changed several times in the last century as more detailed studies have been carried out. Spiraeoideae as defined before 2007 is

paraphyletic In taxonomy (general), taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's most recent common ancestor, last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few Monophyly, monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be pa ...

, leading some authors to define a broader subfamily which includes the Spiraeoideae as well as the

Maleae The Maleae (incorrectly Pyreae) are the apple tribe in the rose family, Rosaceae. The group includes a number of plants bearing commercially important fruits, such as apples and pears, while others are cultivated as ornamentals. Older taxonomie ...

(plants such as pears and apples whose fruits are

pome In botany, a pome is a type of fruit produced by flowering plants in the subtribe Malinae of the family Rosaceae. Well-known pomes include the apple, pear, and quince. Etymology The word ''pome'' entered English in the late 14th century, and re ...

s), and the

Amygdaloideae Amygdaloideae is a subfamily within the flowering plant family Rosaceae. It was formerly considered by some authors to be separate from Rosaceae, and the family names Prunaceae and Amygdalaceae have been used. Reanalysis from 2007 has shown that ...

(including almonds and plums, whose fruits are

drupe In botany, a drupe (or stone fruit) is an indehiscent fruit in which an outer fleshy part (exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh) surrounds a single shell (the ''pit'', ''stone'', or '' pyrena'') of hardened endocarp with a seed (''kernel'') ...

s). Such an expanded subfamily is to be called Amygdaloideae under the

International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants The ''International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants'' (ICN) is the set of rules and recommendations dealing with the formal botanical names that are given to plants, fungi and a few other groups of organisms, all those "trad ...

. The traditional Spiraeoideae are shrubs. Most have simple leaves, but the genera ''Aruncus'' and ''Sorbaria'' have pinnately compound leaves. Carpels are usually 2-5. Most genera traditionally placed in the Spiraeoideae produce flowers with distinct follicles that, upon seed-set, mature to form fruits that are aggregates of follicles. A traditional classificationFocke, W.O. 1894. Rosaceae. In ''Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien nebst ihren Gattungen und wichtigeren Arten insbesondere den Nutzpflanzen unter Mitwirkung zahlreicher hervorragender Fachgelehrten''. Edited by A. Engler; K. Prantl. Leipzig. W. Engelmann. places the following genera in the subfamily: *''

Aruncus ''Aruncus'' is a genus of clump-forming herbaceous perennial plants in the family Rosaceae. Botanical opinion of the number of species differs, with from one to four species accepted. They are closely related to the genera '' Filipendula'' and ' ...

'' *'' Eriogynia'' *'' Euphronia'' *''

Exochorda ''Exochorda'' is a small genus of flowering plants in the family Rosaceae, native to China and central Asia (Turkestan). They are used as ornamental plants with the common name pearl bush, or pearlbush. Numerous species have been described on t ...

'' *''

Gillenia ''Gillenia'' ( syn. ''Porteranthus'') is a genus of two species of perennial herbs in the family Rosaceae, '' Gillenia stipulata'' and '' Gillenia trifoliata''. Common names for plants in this genus include: Bowman's root, Indian-physic, Americ ...

'' *'' Holodiscus'' *''

Kageneckia ''Kageneckia'' is a genus of flowering plant in family Rosaceae. Taxonomic history ''Kageneckia'', along with ''Vauquelinia ''Vauquelinia'', commonly known as the rosewoods, is a genus of the rose family, Rosaceae. It consists of two specie ...

'' *''

Lindleya ''Lindleya'' is a genus of Mexican evergreen trees of the family Rosaceae. The sole species, ''L. mespiloides'', grows to a height of and bears solitary white fragrant flowers in summer. The fruit are dry dehiscent capsules. Taxonomic his ...

'' *''

Neillia ''Neillia'' is a genus of the botanical family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain ...

'' *'' Physocarpus'' *''

Quillaja ''Quillaja'' is a genus of flowering plants, the only extant genus in the family Quillajaceae with two or three known species. It was once thought to be in the rose family, Rosaceae, but recent research shows it belongs in its own family. The i ...

'' *'' Sibiraea'' *''

Spiraea ''Spiraea'' , sometimes spelled spirea in common names, and commonly known as meadowsweets or steeplebushes, is a genus of about 80 to 100 species

'' *'' Spiraeanthus'' *''

Sorbaria ''Sorbaria'' is a genus of around four species of flowering plants belonging to the family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship ...

Examples

* ''

Aruncus dioicus ''Aruncus dioicus'', known as goat's beard, buck's-beard or bride's feathers, is a flowering herbaceous perennial plant in the family Rosaceae, found in Europe, Asia, and eastern and western North America. It is the type species of the genus '' ...

'' * False spirea, ''

Sorbaria sorbifolia ''Sorbaria sorbifolia'', the false spiraea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae. The common name is also spelled false spirea. Other common names include false goat's beard, sorb-leaved schizonotus, Ural false spirea, and in ...

'' * Japanese spiraea, ''

Spiraea japonica ''Spiraea japonica'', the Japanese meadowsweet or Japanese spiraea, is a plant in the family Rosaceae. Synonyms for the species name are ''Spiraea bumalda'' Burv. and ''Spiraea japonica'' var. ''alpina'' Maxim. Description ''Spiraea japonica'' ...

References

University of Illinois
2002-05-29 {{Taxonbar, from=Q149020 Rosaceae Rosid subfamilies Historically recognized angiosperm taxa