Polygalaceae

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Family of flowering plants

title: "Polygalaceae" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["polygalaceae", "rosid-families"] description: "Family of flowering plants" topic_path: "general/polygalaceae" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygalaceae" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Family of flowering plants ::

| image = Securidaca longipedunculata MS 1933.JPG | image_caption = Securidaca longepedunculata | taxon = Polygalaceae | authority = Hoffmanns. & Link | type_genus = Polygala | type_genus_authority = L. | subdivision_ranks = Tribes | subdivision = See text. | range_map = Polygaleae distribution.svg | range_map_caption = Distribution of the Polygalaceae | synonyms=

  • Diclidantheraceae J. Agardh
  • Moutabeaceae Pfeiffer
  • Xanthophyllaceae Reveal & Hoogland

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 of herbs, shrubs and trees. Over half of the species are in one genus, Polygala, the milkworts.

The family was first described in 1809 by Johann Hoffmansegg and Johann Link. In 1896, Robert Chodat split it into three tribes. A fourth tribe was split off from the tribe Polygaleae in 1992. 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. Its zygomorphic, hermaphrodite, bisexual flowers have three to five petals and five sepals. Its leaves are usually alternate, but may be opposite, fascicled, or verticillate. Each flower usually contains eight stamens, though this may range from three to ten. They are usually in two series. The fruits of each plant can be a capsule, samara, or drupe.

Tribes and genera

The Polygalaceae comprise the following genera, with tribes based on various sources.

Fossils

Systematics

Modern molecular phylogenetics suggest the following relationships:

|1={{clade |1=Surianaceae (outgroup) |label2=Polygalaceae |2={{clade |label1=Xanthophylleae |1=Xanthophyllum |2={{clade |label1=Moutabeae |1={{clade |1={{clade |1=Moutabea |2=Balgoya (now included in Moutabea) |2={{clade |1=Eriandra |2={{clade |1=Barnhartia |2=Diclidanthera |2={{clade |label1=Carpolobieae |1={{clade |1=Atroxima |2=Carpolobia |label2=Polygaleae |2={{clade |label1=Clade I |1={{clade |1=Bredemeyera |2={{clade |1=Acanthocladus |2={{clade |1=Gymnospora |2={{clade |1=Hebecarpa |2=Badiera |label2=Clade II |2={{clade |1={{clade |1=Securidaca |2={{clade |1={{clade |1=Phlebotaenia |2=Rhinotropis |2={{clade |1=Comesperma |2={{clade |1=Ancylotropis |2=Monnina |2={{clade |1={{clade |1=Asemeia |2=Caamembeca |2={{clade |1=Hualania |2={{clade |1={{clade |1={{clade |1=Heterosamara |2={{clade |1=Polygaloides |2=Polygala subgen. Chodatia |2={{clade |1=Salomonia |2=Epirixanthes |2={{clade |1=Polygala subgen. Polygala (Old World Clade) |2=Polygala subgen. Polygala (New World Clade) |3=Muraltia

References

References

  1. Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. (2009). "An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG III". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society.
  2. (2016). "The number of known plants species in the world and its annual increase". Phytotaxa.
  3. "Polygalaceae".
  4. (1993). "Phylogeny of the Polygalaceae and its taxonomic implications". Plant Systematics and Evolution.
  5. "Polygalaceae". Government of Victoria, Australia.
  6. "''Polygalaceae'' Hoffmanns. & Link". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  7. Abbott JR.. (2011). "Notes on the disintegration of ''Polygala'' (Polygalaceae), with four new genera for the flora of North America". Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas.
  8. Pastore JFB.. (2012). "''Caamembeca'': Generic status and new name for ''Polygala'' subgenus ''Ligustrina'' (Polygalaceae)". [[Kew Bulletin.
  9. (2013). "Generic status and lectotypifications for ''Gymnospora'' (Polygalaceae)". [[Novon]].
  10. (2015). "Preliminary synopsis of the genus ''Hebecarpa'' (Polygalaceae)". [[Kew Bulletin.
  11. Freire-Fierro A.. (2015). "Systematics of ''Monnina'' (Polygalaceae)". Drexel University.
  12. (2017). "A molecular phylogeny and taxonomic notes in ''Caamembeca'' (Polygalaceae)". [[Systematic Botany.
  13. Persson C.. (2001). "Phylogenetic relationships in Polygalaceae based on plastid DNA sequences from the ''trnL''–''F'' region". [[Taxon (journal).
  14. (2007). "The role of biotic and abiotic factors in evolution of ant dispersal in the milkwort family (Polygalaceae)". [[Evolution (journal).
  15. (2009). "Elusive relationships within order Fabales: Phylogenetic analyses using ''matK'' and ''rbcL'' sequence data". [[Systematic Botany.
  16. Abbott JR.. (2009). "''Phylogeny of the Polygalaceae and a revision of'' Badiera". University of Florida.
  17. (2015). "Evolution of mycoheterotrophy in Polygalaceae: The case of ''Epirixanthes''". [[American Journal of Botany.
  18. (2022). "''Polygalaceae'' Hoffmanns. & Link". [[Australian Biological Resources Study]], Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra.

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polygalaceaerosid-families