Bruniaceae

Family of flowering plants comprising South African heath-like shrubs

Bruniaceae
Berzelia lanuginosa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Bruniales
Family: Bruniaceae
R.Br. ex DC.[1]
Genera

See text

Bruniaceae is a family of shrubs native to the cape region of South Africa. They are mostly restricted to the Cape Province, but a small number of species occur in KwaZulu-Natal.[2]

Description

Species belonging to the Bruniaceae are heath-like shrubs. They have small, hard, scaly leaves that are alternate but regularly set and overlapping. A distinct character is the minute black tip of the leaves when these are young. The inflorescence is a dense spike or spherical flowerhead with up to 400 flowers at the end of the stems. Individual flowers are tube-shaped and hermaphrodite, there are five sepals which may be free or connected at their rim, while the ovary sits under the other parts of the flower. The fruit is dry when ripe, opens with two or four valves and contains fleshy seeds.[3]

Taxonomy

In the APG II taxonomy they are placed in the order Lamiales,[4] but a 2008 study suggested that they are sister to the Columelliaceae,[5] and the Angiosperm Phylogeny Website proposes incorporating this finding by placing both families in order Bruniales.[2]

Genera

There are twelve genera, totalling 77 species:[6]

  • Audouinia Brongn.
  • Berzelia Brongn.
  • Brunia Lam.
  • Linconia L.
  • Lonchostoma Wikstr.
  • Mniothamnea (Oliv.) Nied.
  • Nebelia Neck. ex Sweet
  • Pseudobaeckea Nied.
  • Raspalia Brongn.
  • Staavia Dahl
  • Thamnea Sol. ex Brongn.
  • Tittmannia Brongn.

References

  1. ^ Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (2009). "An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG III". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 161 (2): 105–121. doi:10.1046/j.1095-8339.2003.t01-1-00158.x.
  2. ^ a b "Asterales".
  3. ^ M. Koekemoer, H.M. Steyn & S.P. Bester. "Bruniaceae". Guide to Plant Families of southern Africa. Retrieved 2016-03-01.
  4. ^ Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (2003). "An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG II". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 141 (4): 399–436. doi:10.1046/j.1095-8339.2003.t01-1-00158.x.
  5. ^ Winkworth, Richard C.; Lundberg, Johannes; Donoghue, Michael J. (2008). "Toward a resolution of Campanulid phylogeny, with special reference to the placement of Dipsacales". Taxon. 57 (1): 53–65.
  6. ^ "Brunia noduliflora". www.plantzafrica.com. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  • v
  • t
  • e
Families of flowering plants (APG IV)
  • Supergroup Plant:
  • Bryophyta
  • Marchantiophyta
  • Polypodiophyta
  • Acrogymnospermae
  • Angiospermae
Basal
angio
sperms
Amborellales
Nymphaeales
Austrobaileyales
Magnoliidae
Canellales
Piperales
Magnoliales
Laurales
Chloranthidae
Chloranthales
Lilidae
(Monocots)
Acorales
Alismatales
Petrosaviales
Dioscoreales
Pandanales
Liliales
Asparagales
Arecales
Commelinales
Zingiberales
Poales
Ceratophyllidae
Ceratophyllales
Eudicots
Buxales
Proteales
Ranunculales
Trochodendrales
Dilleniales
Gunnerales
Saxifragales
Vitales
Cucurbitales
Fabales
Fagales
Rosales
Zygophyllales
Celastrales
Malpighiales
Oxalidales
Brassicales
Crossosomatales
Geraniales
Huerteales
Malvales
Myrtales
Picramniales
Sapindales
Berberidopsidales
Caryophyllales
Santalales
Cornales
Ericales
Icacinales
Metteniusales
Garryales
Gentianales
Boraginales
Vahliales
Solanales
Lamiales
Apiales
Aquifoliales
Asterales
Bruniales
Dipsacales
Escalloniales
Paracryphiales
  • Category
Taxon identifiers
Bruniaceae
Authority control databases: National Edit this at Wikidata
  • Israel


Stub icon

This Asterid article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

  • v
  • t
  • e