The Celastraceae is a family of about 90-100 genera and 1,300 species of vine

Vine

A vine in the narrowest sense is the grapevine , but more generally it can refer to any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent, that is to say climbing, stems or runners...

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 small 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, belonging to the order Celastrales

Celastrales

Celastrales is an order of flowering plants. They are found throughout the tropics and subtropics, with only a few species extending far into the temperate regions. There are about 1200 to 1350 species in about 100 genera. All but 7 of these genera are in the large family Celastraceae...

. The great majority of the genera

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 are tropical, with only Celastrus (the staff vine

Staff vine

The staff vines, also known as staff trees or bittersweet, genus Celastrus, comprise about 30 species of shrubs and vines. They have a wide distribution in East Asia, Australasia, Africa and the Americas....

s), Euonymus (the spindles) and Maytenus widespread in temperate

Temperate

In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...

 climates.

There are about 100 genera. Common names for some of them are as follows.

• Canotia - Crucifixion Thorn
• Catha
  Khat
  Khat, qat, gat or Waquish Spoken from true Yemeni, is a flowering plant native to tropical East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula....
  
   – Khat
• Celastrus – Staff vine or Staff tree
• Euonymus
  Euonymus
  Euonymus , often called spindle or spindle tree, is a genus of flowering plants in the staff vine family, Celastraceae. It comprises about 170–180 species of deciduous and evergreen shrubs and small trees...
  
   – Spindle
• Maytenus
  Maytenus
  Maytenus is a genus of flowering plants in the staff vine family, Celastraceae. Members of the genus are distributed throughout Central and South America, Southeast Asia, Micronesia and Australasia, the Indian Ocean and Africa...
  
   – Maiten

A complete list of the genera is given below.

Genera

• Acanthothamnus   
• Allocassine
• Anthodon
  Anthodon (plant genus)
  Anthodon is a genus of flowering plants in the family Celastraceae. It comprises two species of large woody vines native to Central America and northern and Amazonian South America. They are scattered throughout most of the neotropics, but are not common in any part of their range. They grow...
  
  
• Apatophyllum
• Apodostigma
• Arnicratea
• Bequaertia
• Brassiantha
• Brexia
• Brexiella
• Campylostemon
• Canotia
• Cassine
  Cassine (genus)
  Cassine is a genus of plant in the family Celastraceae....
  
  
• Catha
  Khat
  Khat, qat, gat or Waquish Spoken from true Yemeni, is a flowering plant native to tropical East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula....
  
  
• Celastrus
• Cheiloclinium
• Crocoxylon
• Crossopetalum
• Cuervea
• Denhamia
• Dicarpellum
• Elachyptera
• Elaeodendron
  Elaeodendron
  Elaeodendron is a genus of flowering plants in the staff vine family, Celastraceae.-Selected species:* Elaeodendron australe Vent.* Elaeodendron croceum DC.* Elaeodendron curtipendulum Endl....
  
  
• Empleuridium
• Euonymus
  Euonymus
  Euonymus , often called spindle or spindle tree, is a genus of flowering plants in the staff vine family, Celastraceae. It comprises about 170–180 species of deciduous and evergreen shrubs and small trees...
  
  
• Euonymopsis
• Fraunhofera
• Gloveria
  Gloveria
  Gloveria is a genus of Moth in the family Lasiocampidae....
  
  
• Glyptopetalum
  Glyptopetalum
  Glyptopetalum is a genus of plant in family Celastraceae.Species include:* Glyptopetalum lawsonii, Gamble* Glyptopetalum palawanense, Merr....
  
  
• Goniodiscus
• Gyminda
  Gyminda
  Gyminda is a genus of flowering plants in the staff vine family, Celastraceae.-Selected species:* Gyminda latifolia Urb.* Gyminda orbicularis Borh. & Muniz-External links:...
  
  
• Gymnosporia
  Gymnosporia
  Gymnosporia is a genus of plant in family Celastraceae.Species include:* Gymnosporia bachmannii, Loes.* Gymnosporia heterophylla...
  
  
• Hartogiella
  Hartogiella
  Hartogiella is a genus of flowering plant within the family Celastraceae.It contains one species, Hartogiella schinoides , a medium-sized tree from the southern Western Cape province of South Africa...
  
  
• Hartogiopsis
• Hedraianthera
  Hedraianthera
  Hedraianthera porphyropetala is a bush or small tree found in eastern Australia. A member of the Bittersweet family, and the only member of Hedraianthera genus....
  
  
• Helictonema
• Hexaspora
• Hippocratea
• Hylenaea
• Hypsophila
  Hypsophila
  Hypsophila is a genus of moths of the Noctuidae family.-Species:* Hypsophila alpina* Hypsophila haberhaueri* Hypsophila jugorum* Hypsophila klapperichi* Hypsophila lunulata* Hypsophila medialis* Hypsophila meinhardti...
  
  
• Kokoona
  Kokoona
  Kokoona is a genus of plant in family Celastraceae.Species include:* Kokoona coriacea, King* Kokoona leucoclada, Kochummen* Kokoona sabahana, Kochummen* Kokoona sessilis, Ding Hou* Kokoona zeylanica, Thwaites...
  
  
• Lauridia
• Loeseneriella
• Lophopetalum
  Lophopetalum
  Lophopetalum is a genus of plant in family Celastraceae.Species include:* Lophopetalum javanicum Turcz.* Lophopetalum arnhemicum Byrnes*Lophopetalum micranthum Loes.* Lophopetalum sessilifolium Ridley...
  
  
• Lydenburgia
• Macgregoria
  Macgregoria
  Macgregoria may refer to:* Macgregoria, monotypic bird genus containing Macgregor's Giant Honeyeater * Macgregoria ...
  
  
• Maurocenia
  Maurocenia
  Maurocenia frangularia is a small, rounded tree of about 7 meters that is endemic to the Western Cape, South Africa. It has fragrant flowers, cherry-sized edible berries and hard yellow wood that is used to make musical instruments. The leaves are round to oblong and new growth is bright scarlet....
  
  
• Maytenus
  Maytenus
  Maytenus is a genus of flowering plants in the staff vine family, Celastraceae. Members of the genus are distributed throughout Central and South America, Southeast Asia, Micronesia and Australasia, the Indian Ocean and Africa...
  
  
• Menepetalum
• Microtropis
  Microtropis
  Microtropis is a genus of plant in family Celastraceae.Species include:* Microtropis argentea, Kochummen* Microtropis borneensis, Merr...
  
  
• Monimopetalum
• Mortonia
  Mortonia
  Mortonia is a small genus of flowering shrubs known as saddlebushes or mortonias. These are rough, hairy shrubs with leathery leaves and panicles of fleshy white to purplish flowers. They bear nutlets containing 1 seed each...
  
  
• Moya
• Mystroxylon
• Orthosphenia
• Paxistima
  Paxistima
  Paxistima is a small genus of shrubs in the bittersweet family containing two North American species.Paxistima canbyi is an uncommon shrub native to the Appalachians and surrounding areas in the United States....
  
  
• Peripterygia
• Peritassa
  Peritassa
  Peritassa is a genus of plant in family Celastraceae.Species include:* Peritassa killipii, A. C. Sm....
  
  
• Plagiopteron
• Platypterocarpus
  Platypterocarpus
  Platypterocarpus is a genus of plant in family Celastraceae. It contains a single species, Platypterocarpus tanganyikensis , and is endemic to Tanzania.-Source:* Lovett, J. & Clarke, G.P. 1998. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
  
  
• Plenckia
• Pleurostylia
• Polycardia
• Prionostemma
  Prionostemma
  Prionostemma is a large genus of harvestmen in the family Sclerosomatidae.-Species:* Prionostemma acentrus Forster, 1954* Prionostemma acuminatus * Prionostemma albimanum Roewer, 1912* Prionostemma albipalpe...
  
  
• Pristimera
• Psammomoya
• Pseudocatha
• Pseudosalacia
  Pseudosalacia
  Pseudosalacia is a genus of plant in family Celastraceae.Species include:* Pseudosalacia streyi, Codd...
  
  
• Ptelidium
• Pterocelastrus
  Pterocelastrus
  Pterocelastrus is a genus of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae. It contains 17 species.- Selected species :*Pterocelastrus tricuspidatus*Pterocelastrus arboreus*Pterocelastrus burmanni*Pterocelastrus dregeanus...
  
  
• Putterlickia
• Quetzalia
• Reissantia
• Robsonodendron
  Robsonodendron
  Robsonodendron is a genus of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae. It contains 2 species which occur in Africa.- External links :*http://www.nmmu.ac.za/documents/richardcowling/01_Cowling%20et%20al%20SAJBot%2071,%201-23.pdf...
  
  
• Rzedowskia
• Salacia
  Salacia (genus)
  Salacia is a genus of plants in the family Celastraceae.-Medicinal uses:Several species in this genus of plant have been used in traditional medical systems for thousands of years, particularly in the Ayurveda system from India. Uses have included treatment of diabetes, obesity, gonorrhea,...
  
  
• Salacighia
• Salaciopsis
• Salvadoropsis
• Sarawakodendron
  Sarawakodendron
  Sarawakodendron is a genus of plant in family Celastraceae.Species include:* Sarawakodendron filamentosum, Ding Hou...
  
  
• Scandivepres
• Schaefferia
  Schaefferia
  Schaefferia is a genus of flowering shrubs and small trees in the staff vine family, Celastraceae. The generic name honours German mycologist and clergyman Jacob Christian Schäffer . Members of the genus are found in the Neotropics. The plants are dioecious, with flowers that are unisexual by...
  
  
• Semialarium
• Simicratea
• Simirestis
• Siphonodon
  Siphonodon
  Siphonodon is a genus of plant in family Celastraceae.Species include:* Siphonodon celastrineus, Griff....
  
  
• Stackhousia
  Stackhousia
  Stackhousia is a genus of annual and perennial plants in the family Celastraceae that are native to Australia, New Zealand, Malesia and Micronesia...
  
  
• Tetrasiphon
  Tetrasiphon
  Tetrasiphon is a genus of plant in family Celastraceae.Species include:* Tetrasiphon jamaicensis, Urb....
  
  
• Thyrosalacia
• Tontelea
  Tontelea
  Tontelea is a genus of plant in family Celastraceae.Species include:* Tontelea hondurensis, A.C. Smith...
  
  
• Torralbasia
• Tricerma
• Tripterococcus
• Tripterygium
  Tripterygium
  Tripterygium is a genus of plants in the Celastraceae family.T. wilfordii; pinyin: lei gong teng, sometimes called "Thunder God Vine," is used in Traditional Chinese medicine....
  
  
• Tristemonanthus
• Wimmeria
  Wimmeria
  Wimmeria is a genus of shrubs to small trees in the family Celastraceae. It is named after German botanist Christian Friedrich Heinrich Wimmer .-Species:* W. acapulcensis Lundell* W. acuminata L. O. Williams...
  
  
• Xylonymus
• Zinowiewia
  Zinowiewia
  Zinowiewia is a genus of plants in the family Celastraceae.Species include:* Z. costaricensis Lundell* Z. madsenii C. Ulloa & P. Jørg.* Z. micrantha Lundell...