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^[2] of herbs, shrubs and trees. Over half of the species are in one genus, Polygala, the milkworts.

Polygalaceae
Securidaca longepedunculata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Polygalaceae Hoffmanns. & Link[1]
Type genus
Polygala L.
Tribes
See text.
Distribution of the Polygalaceae
Synonyms
Diclidantheraceae J. Agardh Moutabeaceae Pfeiffer Xanthophyllaceae Reveal & Hoogland

The family was first described in 1809 by Johann Hoffmansegg and Johann Link.^[3] In 1896, Robert Chodat split it into 3 tribes. A fourth tribe was split off from the tribe Polygaleae in 1992.^[4] 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.^[5] Its zygomorphic, hermaphrodite, bisexual flowers have 3-5 petals and 5 sepals.^[6][7] Its leaves are usually alternate, but may be opposite, fascicled, or verticillate.^[6] Each flower usually contains 8 stamens, though this may range from 3 to 10. They are usually in 2 series.^[7] The fruits of each plant can be a capsule, samara, or drupe.^[6]

Tribes and genera

The Polygalaceae comprise the following genera,^[6] with tribes based on various sources.^{[8][9][10][11][12][13]}

• 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 B.Eriksen
  • Asemeia Raf.
  • Badiera DC.
  • Bredemeyera Willd.
  • Caamembeca J.F.B. Pastore
  • 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.
  • Polygaloides Haller
  • 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:^{[13][14][15][16][17][18]}

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