Overview
Polemoniaceae (Jacob's-ladder or phlox family) are a family of about 25 genera with 270-400 species of annual and perennial plants, native to the Northern Hemisphere and South America, with the center of diversity in western North America, especially in California.
Only one genus (Polemonium) is found in Europe, and two (Phlox and Polemonium) in Asia, where they are confined to cool temperate to arctic regions; both genera also occur more widely in North America, suggesting relatively recent colonization of the Old World from North America.
The family can be distinguished from most other eudicot families by the ovary made up of three fused carpels (usually with three chambers, but one chamber in some species).1] The members of the family have five sepals, five petals fused, and five stamens that alternate with the lobes of the corolla.
For decades, most sources used a classification of the family published by Grant in 1959, but new evidence, including molecular phylogeny, veins of the corolla, pollen, and the flavonoids present, have led to reclassifications, such as the 1998 classification by Grant.[1] It recognizes two subfamilies. The subfamily Cobaeoideae is tropical/subtropical and composed of six genera organized into five tribes. The subfamily Polemonioideae consists of 13 temperate genera. Grant divides it into three tribes, but with the disclaimer that it is not clear what the correct division is and that the genus classifications may be more useful in this subfamily.[1]
Cultivation and uses
Although few are of economic importance, a number are widely grown as ornamental plants, such as Ipomopsis aggregata (Scarlet Gilia), and many species of Phlox and Polemonium. The Kantuta (Cantua buxifolia) is the national flower of Bolivia and Peru.
Genera
There are 25 genera:
Genera with an asterisk (*) are not treated as distinct by all botanists.
b>Polemoniaceae (Jacob's-ladder or phlox family) are a family of about 25 genera with 270-400 species of annual and perennial plants, native to the Northern Hemisphere and South America, with the center of diversity in western North America, especially in California.Only one genus (Polemonium) is found in Europe, and two (Phlox and Polemonium) in Asia, where they are confined to cool temperate to arctic regions; both genera also occur more widely in North America, suggesting relatively recent colonization of the Old World from North America.
The family can be distinguished from most other eudicot families by the ovary made up of three fused carpels (usually with three chambers, but one chamber in some species).1] The members of the family have five sepals, five petals fused, and five stamens that alternate with the lobes of the corolla.
For decades, most sources used a classification of the family published by Grant in 1959, but new evidence, including molecular phylogeny, veins of the corolla, pollen, and the flavonoids present, have led to reclassifications, such as the 1998 classification by Grant.[1] It recognizes two subfamilies. The subfamily Cobaeoideae is tropical/subtropical and composed of six genera organized into five tribes. The subfamily Polemonioideae consists of 13 temperate genera. Grant divides it into three tribes, but with the disclaimer that it is not clear what the correct division is and that the genus classifications may be more useful in this subfamily.[1]
Cultivation and uses
Although few are of economic importance, a number are widely grown as ornamental plants, such as Ipomopsis a ggregata (Scarlet Gilia), and many species of Phlox and Polemonium. The Kantuta (Cantua buxifolia) is the national flower of Bolivia and Peru.
Genera
There are 25 genera:
Genera with an asterisk (*) are not treated as distinct by all botanists.
References
- ^ a b c Grant, Verne (1998), "Primary Classification and Phylogeny of the Polemoniaceae, with Comments on Molecular Cladistics", American Journal of Botany (Botanical Society of America) 85 (6): 741?752, doi:10.2307/2446408, JSTOR 2446408, http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/content/abstract/85/6/741
External links
Taxonomy
The Family Polemoniaceae is further organized into finer groupings including:
- Subfamily (3): Acanthogilioideae · Cobaeoideae · Polemonioideae
- Tribe (5): Cardueae · Gilieae · Haemantheae · Narcisseae · Polemonieae
- Genus (58): Acanthogilia · Aegochloa · Aliciella · Allophyllum · Batanthes · Bonplandia · Bryantiella · Caldasia · Callisteris · Cantua · Cobaea · Collomia · Collomiastrum · Courtoisia · Dactylophyllum · Dayia · Dregea · Eriastrum · Fenzlia · Fonna · Gilia · Giliastrum · Gymnosteris · Hinopsis · Hoitzia · Hugelia · Huthia · Ipomeria · Ipomopsis · Langloisia · Lathrocasis · Leptodactylon · Leptosiphon · Linanthastrum · Linanthus · Loeselia · Loeseliastrum · Lychnidea · Lyperia · Maculigilia · Michelia · Microgilia · Microsteris · Myotoca · Navarretia · Periphragmos · Phlos · Phlox · Physosiphon · Polemoniella · Polemonium · Rosenbergia · Saltugilia · Siphonella · Tintinabulum · Townsendia · Tunaria · Unkown
- Species: ZipcodeZoo has pages for 4,061 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in the Family Polemoniaceae.
Genera
Acanthogilia
Acanthogilia is a genus with a single species of desert shrub from Baja California, Mexico. It was first scientifically described as a genus in 1986. [more]
Aegochloa
Aliciella
Aliciella is a genus of plants in the phlox family. These plants have been treated as members of genus Gilia until recently, when it was proposed they be moved back to Aliciella. This genus was created in 1905 to include certain gilias that seemed distinct from most of the others, but it was abandoned soon after. Recent genetic analyses suggest it should be revived. [more]
Allophyllum
Allophyllum is a small genus of flowering plants in the phlox family known as false gilyflowers. These are hairy, glandular annuals with tall, thin, branching stems topped with clusters of small tubular flowers in varying shades of purple. Some of the plants are sticky, and all have seeds which become gluey when wet. False gilyflowers are native to western North America. [more]
Batanthes
Bonplandia
Bryantiella
Caldasia
Callisteris
Cantua
Cantua is a genus of flowering plants in the family Polemoniaceae which is in the order Ericales. They are restricted to central South America where many species are endemics in the countries of occurrence. [more]
Cobaea
Collomia
Collomia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Polemoniaceae. [more]
Collomiastrum
Courtoisia
Dactylophyllum
Dayia
Dregea
Lianas. Inflorescences umbel-like clusters of cymules; peduncle and pedicels long and slender. Sepals overlapping, with 5 basal glands. Corolla rotate to shallowly bowl-shaped, deeply 5-divided; lobes overlapping to right. Corona lobes 5, ± spreading, thick fleshy, adnate to stamens, outer angle obtuse or rectangular, interior angle produced into an acute tooth incumbent to anthers. Anthers with membranous apical appendages; pollinia 2 per pollinarium, oblong, erect. Stigma head umbonate or thick conical. Follicles widely divergent, thick, finely longitudinally ribbed or corrugate, not winged [or winged]. Seeds comose.[1] [more]
Eriastrum
Eriastrum is a genus of flowering plants in the which are known commonly as woollystars. These wildflowers are somewhat diverse in appearance but are usually erect, thin-stemmed herbs which bear purple to white blooms. Most species have inflorescences which are webbed with a woolly mesh of white fibers. Woollystars are native to western North America. [more]
Fenzlia
A Genus in the Kingdom Plantae. [more]
Fonna
Gilia
Gilia is a genus of between 25 and 50 species of flowering plants in the family Polemoniaceae, native to temperate and tropical regions of the Americas, from the western United States south to northern Chile, where they occur mainly in desert or semi-desert habitats. [more]
Giliastrum
Gymnosteris
Hinopsis
Hoitzia
Hugelia
Huthia
Ipomeria
Ipomopsis
Ipomopsis is a genus of flowering plants in the phlox family, Polemoniaceae. The annual and perennial herbs it contains are native to the Americas, particularly North America. [more]
Langloisia
Langloisia setosissima (Bristly Langloisia, Bristly-calico or Lilac Sunbonnets) is a flowering plant, the sole species in the genus Langloisia in the family Polemoniaceae. It is native to the western United States, where it is found in desert washes and on rocky slopes and plains from eastern Oregon and Idaho south to eastern California and Arizona. [more]
Lathrocasis
Leptodactylon
Leptosiphon
Leptosiphon is a of flowering plants in the Polemoniaceae family. Many included species were formerly classified as members of the genus Linanthus. Some species of this genus are grown as ornamental plants. [more]
Linanthastrum
Linanthus
Linanthus is a genus of annual and perennial plants in the phlox family Polemoniaceae. The species are found in western North America and in Chile, with the greatest diversity in California. [more]
Loeselia
Loeseliastrum
Lychnidea
Lyperia
Maculigilia
Michelia
Michelia is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the Magnolia family (Magnoliaceae). The genus includes about 50 species of evergreen trees and shrubs, native to tropical and subtropical south and southeast Asia (Indomalaya), including southern China. [more]
Microgilia
Microsteris
Myotoca
Navarretia
Navarretia is a genus of about 30 species of flowering plants related to the and the gilias. This is one genus of plants among others which are sometimes called pincushion plants. The inflorescence which bears the flowers is surrounded by frilly green bracts bearing soft spines, giving it the appearance of a pincushion. Several species are members of the vernal pool ecosystem. [more]
Periphragmos
Phlos
Phlox
Phlox (pronounced "flocks": Greek f??? "flame"; plural "phlox" or "phloxes", Greek f???e? phl?ges) is a genus of 67 species of perennial and annual plants found mostly in North America (one in Siberia) in diverse habitats from alpine tundra to open woodland and prairie. Some flower in spring, others in summer and autumn. [more]
Physosiphon
Pleurothallis, abbreviated Pths in horticultural trade, is a genus of orchids commonly named Bonnet Orchids. The genus name is derived from the Greek word 'pleurothallos', meaning 'riblike branches'. This refers to the rib-like stems of many species. [more]
Polemoniella
Polemonium
Polemonium, commonly called Jacob's ladder, is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the family Polemoniaceae, native to cool temperate to arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and also in the southern Andes in South America. Many of the species grow at high altitudes in mountains. [more]
Rosenbergia
Saltugilia
Siphonella
Tintinabulum
Townsendia
Townsendia is a genus of known commonly as Townsend daisies. These annual and perennial wildflowers are native to western North America. They are typical daisies in appearance, with flower heads in shades of pink, purple, blue, white, and yellow. [more]
Tunaria
A Genus in the Kingdom Plantae. [more]
Unkown
At least 132 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Unkown.
More info about the Genus Unkown may be found here.
References
- ^ a b c Grant, Verne (1998), "Primary Classification and Phylogeny of the Polemoniaceae, with Comments on Molecular Cladistics", American Journal of Botany (Botanical Society of America) 85 (6): 741?752, doi:10.2307/2446408, JSTOR 2446408, http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/content/abstract/85/6/741
External links
- Tree of Life Polemoniaceae
- Polemoniaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants.
Footnotes
- "Dregea". in Flora of China Vol. 16 Page 250. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.
Sources
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