Melanthiaceae
Encyclopedia
Melanthiaceae is a family
of flowering perennial
herbs in the Northern Hemisphere
. The family has been recognized by relatively few taxonomists, and the circumscription has varied. Early authors considered these plants to belong to the family Liliaceae
, in part because both their sepals and petals closely resemble each other and are often large and showy like the flowers of the Lily Family., while some more recent taxonomists have placed them in a family Trilliaceae
. The most authoritative modern treatment, however, the APG II system
, of 2003 (unchanged from the APG system
, of 1998), does recognize such a family and places it in the order Liliales
, in the clade monocots. As circumscribed by APG II it includes 11-16 genera of the plants that sometimes have been treated as family .
Familiar members of the family include Paris herb (Paris quadrifolia
) and the trillium
s.
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
of flowering perennial
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
herbs in the Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
. The family has been recognized by relatively few taxonomists, and the circumscription has varied. Early authors considered these plants to belong to the family Liliaceae
Liliaceae
The Liliaceae, or the lily family, is a family of monocotyledons in the order Liliales. Plants in this family have linear leaves, mostly with parallel veins but with several having net venation , and flower arranged in threes. Several have bulbs, while others have rhizomes...
, in part because both their sepals and petals closely resemble each other and are often large and showy like the flowers of the Lily Family., while some more recent taxonomists have placed them in a family Trilliaceae
Trilliaceae
Trilliaceae is the botanical name of a family of flowering plants. The family has been recognised as distinct since 1846 when it was recognized; this table for a summarizes the placement of these taxa...
. The most authoritative modern treatment, however, the APG II system
APG II system
The APG II system of plant classification is the second, now obsolete, version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy that was published in April 2003 by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. It was a revision of the first APG system, published in 1998, and was superseded in 2009...
, of 2003 (unchanged from the APG system
APG system
The APG system of plant classification is the first, now obsolete, version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy that was published in 1998 by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. It was superseded in 2003 by a revision, the APG II system, and then in 2009 by a further...
, of 1998), does recognize such a family and places it in the order Liliales
Liliales
Liliales is an order of monocotyledonous flowering plants. This order of necessity includes the family Liliaceae, but both the family and the order have had a widely disputed history, with the circumscription varying greatly from one taxonomist to another...
, in the clade monocots. As circumscribed by APG II it includes 11-16 genera of the plants that sometimes have been treated as family .
Familiar members of the family include Paris herb (Paris quadrifolia
Paris quadrifolia
Paris quadrifolia is a species of the genus Paris in the family Melanthiaceae, although authorities formerly regarded it as part of the Liliaceae family. It is related to Trillium, with which it can be confused...
) and the trillium
Trillium
Trillium is a genus of about 40–50 species of spring ephemeral perennials, native to temperate regions of North America and Asia....
s.
Genera
- AmianthiumAmianthiumAmianthium is a monotypic genus of perennial plants growing from bulbs. It contains the single species Amianthium muscitoxicum, known in English as fly poison from a literal translation of the Latin muscitoxicum, and is noted for its pretty flowers and its toxic alkaloid content. While all parts of...
- Anticlea
- ChamaeliriumChamaeliriumChamaelirium luteum, commonly known as Blazing-Star, Devil's Bit, Fairy Wand, False Unicorn, is a perennial herb native to the eastern United States...
- ChionographisChionographisChionographis is a genus of four herbaceous plant species. This genus is a member of the Melanthiaceae.Chionographis species are perennial flowering plants that grow from rhizomes. They produce a basal rosette of evergreen leaves, from the center of which emerges a flowering scape. The scape...
- Daiswa
- Helonias
- Heloniopsis
- Kinugasa
- MelanthiumMelanthiumMelanthium is a genus of herbaceous perennial monocots native to North America. They are closely related to Veratrum, and in fact are included in that genus by some authors...
- ParisParis (genus)Paris is the botanical name of a genus of flowering plants. It consists of less than two dozen herbaceous plants: the best known species is Paris quadrifolia. The primary center of Paris diversity is China; the genus includes representatives native to Europe and Asia...
- PseudotrilliumPseudotrilliumPseudotrillium is a proposed monotypic genus of flowering plants containing the single species Pseudotrillium rivale, which is known by the common name brook wakerobin...
- SchoenocaulonSchoenocaulonSchoenocaulon is a North American genus of 26 species of perennial herbaceous flowering plants, ranging from the southern United States to Peru. It is a member of the Melanthiaceae, according to the AGP II...
- Stenanthium
- Toxicoscordion
- Trillidium
- TrilliumTrilliumTrillium is a genus of about 40–50 species of spring ephemeral perennials, native to temperate regions of North America and Asia....
- VeratrumVeratrumVeratrum is a genus of coarse, highly poisonous perennial herbs of the Melanthiaceae family. In English they are known as the False hellebores or corn lilies. Members of Veratrum are known both in western herbalism and traditional Chinese medicine as toxic herbs to be used with great caution...
- XerophyllumXerophyllum (plant)Xerophyllum is a genus of perennial lily from the family Melanthiaceae. The genus is native to North America, and has five species.Species include:*Xerophyllum asphodeloides *Xerophyllum douglasii...
- YpsilandraYpsilandraYspilandra is a genus of five herbaceous plant species. This genus is a member of the Melanthiaceae.Ypsilandra species are perennial plants that grow from thick rhizomes. They are native to Bhutan, Myanmar, China, and Nepal, and are associated with sloping, forested habitats. They are very...
- Zigadenus
External links
- Melanthiaceae [in a very wide sense], Trilliaceae 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.
- NCBI Taxonomy Browser
- links and more links at CSDL, Texas