Adoxaceae
Encyclopedia
The Adoxaceae is a small family of flowering plant
s in the order Dipsacales
, as now constituted comprising four genera and about 150-200 species. It is characterised by opposite toothed leaves
, small five- or, more rarely, four-petalled flower
s in cymose inflorescences, and the fruit
being a drupe
. They are thus similar to many Cornaceae
.
In older classifications this entire family was part of Caprifoliaceae
(the honeysuckle
family). Adoxa moschatellina (Moschatel) was the first plant to be moved to this new group. Much later, the genera Sambucus (elders) and Viburnum
were added after careful morphological analysis of biochemical tests by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group
. An additional monotypic genus Sinadoxa
has been added based on molecular comparison with Adoxa.
Adoxa is a small perennial herbaceous
plant, flowering early in the spring and dying down to ground level in summer immediately after the berries are mature; the leaves are compound.
The elders are mostly shrub
s, but two species are large herbaceous plants; all have compound leaves. The viburnums are all shrubs, with simple leaves.
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 Dipsacales
Dipsacales
The Dipsacales are an order of flowering plants, included within the asterid group of dicotyledons.Under the Cronquist system, the order included Adoxaceae, Caprifoliaceae, Dipsacaceae, and Valerianaceae. Under the more recent Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, the circumscription of the order is...
, as now constituted comprising four genera and about 150-200 species. It is characterised by opposite toothed leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
, small five- or, more rarely, four-petalled flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s in cymose inflorescences, and the fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
being a drupe
Drupe
In botany, a drupe is a fruit in which an outer fleshy part surrounds a shell of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. These fruits develop from a single carpel, and mostly from flowers with superior ovaries...
. They are thus similar to many Cornaceae
Cornaceae
Cornaceae is a cosmopolitan family of flowering plants in the order Cornales. It contains approximately 110 species, mostly trees and shrubs, which may be deciduous or evergreen. Members of this family usually have opposite or alternate simple leaves, four- or five-parted flowers clustered in...
.
In older classifications this entire family was part of Caprifoliaceae
Caprifoliaceae
The Caprifoliaceae or honeysuckle family is a clade consisting of about 800 dicotyledonous flowering plants, with a nearly cosmopolitan distribution; centres of diversity are found in eastern North America and eastern Asia, while they are absent in tropical and southern Africa.They are mostly...
(the honeysuckle
Honeysuckle
Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the family Caprifoliaceae, native to the Northern Hemisphere. There are about 180 species of honeysuckle, 100 of which occur in China; Europe, India and North America have only about 20 native species each...
family). Adoxa moschatellina (Moschatel) was the first plant to be moved to this new group. Much later, the genera Sambucus (elders) and Viburnum
Viburnum
Viburnum is a genus of about 150–175 species of shrubs or small trees in the moschatel family, Adoxaceae. Its current classification is based on molecular phylogeny...
were added after careful morphological analysis of biochemical tests by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group
Angiosperm Phylogeny Group
The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, or APG, refers to an informal international group of systematic botanists who came together to try to establish a consensus on the taxonomy of flowering plants that would reflect new knowledge about plant relationships discovered through phylogenetic studies., three...
. An additional monotypic genus Sinadoxa
Sinadoxa
Sinadoxa corydalifolia is the only species of plant in genus Sinadoxa, in the Adoxaceae family. It is endemic to the Hengduan region of China.-References:* China Plant Specialist Group 2004. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
has been added based on molecular comparison with Adoxa.
Adoxa is a small perennial herbaceous
Herbaceous
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
plant, flowering early in the spring and dying down to ground level in summer immediately after the berries are mature; the leaves are compound.
The elders are mostly 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, but two species are large herbaceous plants; all have compound leaves. The viburnums are all shrubs, with simple leaves.