Polygalaceae

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<ref name="Christenhusz-Byng2016">Template:Cite journal</ref> 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.<ref name="ipni">Template:Cite web</ref> In 1896, Robert Chodat split it into three tribes. A fourth tribe was split off from the tribe Polygaleae in 1992.<ref name="split1992">Template:Cite journal</ref> 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.Template:R Its zygomorphic, hermaphrodite, bisexual flowers have three to five petals and five sepals.<ref name=potw/><ref name="victoria">Template:Cite web</ref> Its leaves are usually alternate, but may be opposite, fascicled, or verticillate.<ref name=potw/> Each flower usually contains eight stamens, though this may range from three to ten. They are usually in two series.<ref name=victoria/> The fruits of each plant can be a capsule, samara, or drupe.<ref name=potw/>

Tribes and genera

The Polygalaceae comprise the following genera,<ref name=potw>Template:Cite web</ref> with tribes based on various sources.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite thesis</ref><ref name="Caamembeca">Template:Cite journal</ref>

• Carpolobieae Eriksen
  • Atroxima Stapf
  • Carpolobia G. Don
• Moutabeae Chodat
  • Barnhartia Gleason
  • Diclidanthera Mart.
  • Eriandra P. Royen & Steenis
  • Moutabea Aubl.
• Polygaleae Chodat
  • Acanthocladus Klotzsch ex Hassk.
  • Ancylotropis Template:Small
  • Asemeia Raf.
  • Badiera DC.
  • Bredemeyera Willd.
  • Caamembeca J.F.B. Pastore
  • Chamaebuxus Template:Small (synonym Polygaloides Haller)
  • Comesperma Labill.
  • Epirixanthes Blume
  • Gymnospora (Chodat) J.F.B.Pastore
  • Hebecarpa (Chodat) J.R.Abbott
  • Heterosamara Kuntze
  • Hualania Phil.
  • Monnina Ruiz & Pav.
  • Monrosia Grondona
  • Muraltia DC.
  • Phlebotaenia Griseb.
  • Polygala L.
  • Rhamphopetalum J.F.B.Pastore & M.Mota
  • Rhinotropis (S.F. Blake) J.R. Abbott
  • Salomonia Lour.
  • Securidaca L.
• Xanthophylleae Chodat
  • Xanthophyllum Roxb.
• Tribe not assigned
  • Senega (DC.) Spach

Fossils

• †Deviacer Manchester
• †Paleosecuridaca Pigg, Kathleen B., M.L. DeVore & M.F. Wojc. 2008

Systematics

Modern molecular phylogenetics suggest the following relationships:<ref name="Caamembeca"/><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite thesis</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>