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 Sarcandra glabra
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Chloranthaceae is the botanical name of a family of flowering plants. The family consists of four genera, totalling several dozen species, of herbaceous or woody plants primarily occurring in the tropics and sub-tropics. Members of this family are aromatic and have opposite leaves with distinctive serrate margins and interpetiolar stipules (similar to the stipules found in family Rubiaceae). The flowers are inconspicuous, and arranged in inflorescences. Petals are absent in this family, and sometimes so are sepals. The flowers can be either hermaphrodite or of separate sexes. The fruit is drupe-like, consisting of one carpel.
Chloranthaceae have been recognised as a family in most classifications but without clear relatives. Molecular systematic studies have shown that it is not closely related to any other family and is among the early-diverging lineages in the angiosperms. In particular, it is neither a eudicot nor a monocot. Fossils assigned to Chloranthaceae, or closely related, are among the oldest angiosperms known. The APG II system (2003) leaves the family unplaced as to order but Stevens (2001 onwards) accepts the order Chloranthales, containing only this family.
The current phylogeny is:
| Angiospermae |
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The Cronquist system (1981) assigned the family
- to the order Piperales
- in subclass Magnoliidae
- in class Magnoliopsida [=dicotyledons
- of division Magnoliophyta [=angiosperms].
- in class Magnoliopsida [=dicotyledons
- in subclass Magnoliidae
The Thorne system (1992) placed it
- in the order Magnoliales, which was assigned
- to superorder Magnolianae
- in subclass Magnoliideae [=dicotyledons],
- in class Magnoliopsida [=angiosperms].
- in subclass Magnoliideae [=dicotyledons],
- to superorder Magnolianae
The Dahlgren system raised the family to be
- its own order Chloranthales, which was assigned
- to superorder Magnolianae
- in subclass Magnoliideae [=dicotyledons],
- in class Magnoliopsida [=angiosperms].
- in subclass Magnoliideae [=dicotyledons],
- to superorder Magnolianae
External links :
- Chloranthales in Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 7, May 2006.
- Chloranthaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards) The families of flowering plants: descriptions, illustrations, identification, information retrieval. Version: 3rd May 2006. http://delta-intkey.com.
- Andes Trees
- NCBI Taxonomy Browser
- Images of Chloranthus Flavon's art gallery: Chloranthaceae
- Image of Chloranthus oldhamii
- Image of Chloranthus serratus
- Images of Sarcandra glabra
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 14 November 2008, at 00:46.
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