Convallarioideae

Convallarioideae is a monocot subfamily of the family Asparagaceae. It used to be treated as a separate family, Ruscaceae s.l., but this family was merged into Asparagaceae in the APG III system of 2009. Initially the name Nolinoideae was used, derived from the type genus Nolina.<ref name="Chase2009"/> This name was supposed to have been published by Burnett in 1935. However, this has been shown to be an error, as Burnett based a subfamily on the Solanaceae genus Nolana not Nolina.<ref name=TanaNguy23/>

The subfamily includes genera that had been placed in a range of different families, including Ruscaceae s.s., Nolinaceae, Dracaenaceae, Convallariaceae and Eriospermaceae. Like many groups of lilioid monocots, the genera included here were once included in a wide interpretation of the family Liliaceae.<ref name=apw/>

Taxonomy

In the 2009 APG III system, the former family Ruscaceae was one of those sunk into a much broader family Asparagaceae. As a result, Chase and coauthors proposed a set of subfamilies for the Asparagaceae in 2009, including one they called Nolinoideae, supposedly published by Burnett in 1835 based on the genus Nolina.<ref name=Chase2009/> Many authors have subsequently used this name. However, in 2023, it was pointed out that Burnett actually published a subfamily Nolanoideae within the family Solanaceae, based on the genus Nolana.<ref name=Burn35/><ref name=Tropicos_100535273/><ref name=TanaNguy23/> The earliest published and hence correct name for the subfamily thus becomes Convallarioideae, based on the genus Convallaria,<ref name=TanaNguy23/> published by William Herbert in 1837,<ref name=Tropicos_100535272/> a conclusion supported by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Website Template:As of.<ref name=APweb/>

Genera

A possibly incomplete list of the genera included in the Convallarioideae (former Nolinoideae) is given below. The reference is to the source which places the genus in this subfamily. The genera included here have varied widely in their limits and assignment to families and subfamilies; some former family placements other than Convallarioideae (which will be found in the literature) are given below.<ref name="apw"/><ref name="vpfg"/><ref name=GRINquery/>

Genus	Source	Tribe<ref name="APweb_gen">Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards). "List of Genera in Ruscaceae / Asparagaceae-Nolinoideae". Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Retrieved 2025-08-12.</ref>	Former family placement(s) other than Ruscaceae s.l.
Aspidistra Ker Gawl. (including Antherolophus Gagnep., Colania Gagnep.)	<ref name=Chase2009/>	Convallarieae	Convallariaceae
Beaucarnea Lem.	<ref name=GRINquery/>	Nolineae	Dracaenaceae, Agavaceae
Comospermum Rauschert	<ref name=Chase2009/>	?	Anthericaceae
Convallaria L.	<ref name=Chase2009/>	Convallarieae	Convallariaceae
Danae Medik.	<ref name=Chase2009/>	Rusceae
Dasylirion Zucc.	<ref name=apw/>	Nolineae	Dracaenaceae
Disporopsis Hance	<ref name=GRINquery/>	Polygonateae	Convallariaceae
Dracaena Vand. ex L. (including Sansevieria Thunb.)	<ref name=Chase2009/>	Dracaeneae	Dracaenaceae, Agavaceae
Eriospermum Jacq.	<ref name=Chase2009/>	Eriospermeae	Eriospermaceae
Heteropolygonatum M.N.Tamura & Ogisu	<ref name=GRINquery/>	Polygonateae	Convallariaceae
Liriope Lour.	<ref name=apw/>	Ophiopogoneae	Convallariaceae
Maianthemum F.H.Wigg. (including Oligobotrya Baker, Smilacina Desf.)	<ref name=Chase2009/>	Polygonateae	Convallariaceae
Nolina Michx.	<ref name=Chase2009/>	Nolineae	Dracaenaceae
Ophiopogon Ker Gawl.	<ref name=Chase2009/>	Ophiopogoneae	Convallariaceae
Peliosanthes Andrews	<ref name=Chase2009/>	Ophiopogoneae	Convallariaceae
Polygonatum Mill.	<ref name=Chase2009/>	Polygonateae	Convallariaceae
Reineckea Kunth	<ref name=GRINquery/>	Convallarieae	Convallariaceae
Rohdea Roth (including Gonioscypha Baker)	<ref name=GRINquery/>	Convallarieae	Convallariaceae
Ruscus L.	<ref name=Chase2009/>	Rusceae
Semele Kunth	<ref name=Chase2009/>	Rusceae
Speirantha Baker	<ref name=Chase2009/>	Convallarieae	Convallariaceae
Theropogon Maxim.	<ref name=GRINquery/>	?	Convallariaceae
Tupistra Ker Gawl. (including Campylandra Baker, Tricalistra Ridl.)	<ref name=Chase2009/>	Convallarieae	Convallariaceae

Genera formerly placed in this subfamily

Calibanus was a former genus that was placed in this subfamily when the APG III system was introduced.<ref name="Chase2009" /><ref>Calibanus. Kew Plants of the World Online https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:297730-2</ref> Both members of the genus have since been transferred to the genus Beaucarnea (also a member of the subfamily) after molecular phylogenetic research demonstrated a strong phylogenetic relationship with species of Beaucarnea.<ref>Molecular phylogenetics and morphology of Beaucarnea (Ruscaceae) as distinct from Nolina, and the submersion of Calibanus into Beaucarnea (2014). Rojas-Piña, V., Olson, M.E., Alvarado-Cárdenas, L.O. & Eguiarte, L.E.. Taxon 63: 1193-1211. [Cited as Beaucarnea.]</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

External links

• Convallariaceae, Dracaenaceae, Eriospermaceae, Nolinaceae, Ruscaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants: descriptions, illustrations, identification, information retrieval. Version: 3 May 2006. http://delta-intkey.com
• Liliaceae in Flora of North America
• NCBI Taxonomy Browser
• links, links, links, links links at CSDL, Texas