Polygalaceae
Encyclopedia
The Polygalaceae
or Milkwort family is a family
of flowering plant
s in the order Fabales
. They have a near-cosmopolitan range, with about 17 genera and 900–1,000 species
of herb
s, shrub
s and tree
s. Over half of the species are in one genus, Polygala
, the milkworts.
Under the Cronquist
classification system, the Polygalaceae was treated in a separate order of its own, the Polygalales. Currently, and according to the APG, it belongs to Fabales.
or Milkwort family is a family
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 plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s in the order Fabales
Fabales
Fabales is an order of flowering plants. It is included in the rosid group of the eudicots in the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group II classification system...
. They have a near-cosmopolitan range, with about 17 genera and 900–1,000 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of herb
Herb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
s, shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s and tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s. Over half of the species are in one genus, Polygala
Polygala
Polygala is a genus of about 500 species of flowering plants belonging to the family Polygalaceae, commonly known as milkwort or snakeroot...
, the milkworts.
Under the Cronquist
Cronquist
Cronquist can refer to:* Arthur J. Cronquist, a North American botanist .* The Cronquist system, a system attributed to Arthur J. Cronquist. Many authors use their own variation of this system, which they also refer to as the Cronquist system...
classification system, the Polygalaceae was treated in a separate order of its own, the Polygalales. Currently, and according to the APG, it belongs to Fabales.