Colchicaceae
Encyclopedia
Colchicaceae is a botanical name
of a family of flowering plants.
The APG III system
, of 2009 (unchanged from the APG system
s, of 1998 and 2003), does recognize such a family and places it in the order Liliales
, in the clade monocots, and regards the family as including some two hundred species of herbaceous perennials with rhizome
s or corm
s.
The Dahlgren system
and the Thorne system (1992)
also recognized this family, and placed it in order Liliales
in superorder Lilianae
in subclass Liliidae
(monocotyledons) of class Magnoliopsida
(angiosperms).
The phylogenetic classification of Vinnersten & Manning (2007) circumscribes the family as follows.
The genus Petermannia
F.Muell. is excluded from this family and placed in its own family Petermanniaceae, Liliales.
There is still some controversy regarding the inclusion of Androcymbium in Colchicum as genetic analysis do not separate the genera unless morphological characters are taken into account. As the investigations thus far haven't included all relevant species the question awaits resolve from larger analyses.
Botanical name
A botanical name is a formal scientific name conforming to the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature and, if it concerns a plant cultigen, the additional cultivar and/or Group epithets must conform to the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants...
of a family of flowering plants.
The APG III system
APG III system
The APG III system of flowering plant classification is the third version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy...
, of 2009 (unchanged from the APG system
APG system
The APG system of plant classification is the first, now obsolete, version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy that was published in 1998 by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. It was superseded in 2003 by a revision, the APG II system, and then in 2009 by a further...
s, of 1998 and 2003), does recognize such a family and places it in the order Liliales
Liliales
Liliales is an order of monocotyledonous flowering plants. This order of necessity includes the family Liliaceae, but both the family and the order have had a widely disputed history, with the circumscription varying greatly from one taxonomist to another...
, in the clade monocots, and regards the family as including some two hundred species of herbaceous perennials with rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
s or corm
Corm
A corm is a short, vertical, swollen underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ used by some plants to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat ....
s.
The Dahlgren system
Dahlgren system
One of the modern systems of plant taxonomy, the Dahlgren system was published by monocot specialist Rolf Dahlgren. His wife Gertrud Dahlgren carried on after his death.According to the extensive listing by Professor Reveal One of the modern systems of plant taxonomy, the Dahlgren system was...
and the Thorne system (1992)
Thorne system (1992)
A modern system of plant taxonomy, the Thorne system of plant classification was drawn up by the botanist Robert F. Thorne . He replaced it in 2000 with a new system. These two systems were published in:...
also recognized this family, and placed it in order Liliales
Liliales
Liliales is an order of monocotyledonous flowering plants. This order of necessity includes the family Liliaceae, but both the family and the order have had a widely disputed history, with the circumscription varying greatly from one taxonomist to another...
in superorder Lilianae
Lilianae
Lilianae is a botanical name, in use for a superorder . Such a superorder will of necessity include the family Liliaceae...
in subclass Liliidae
Liliidae
Liliidae is a botanical name at the rank of subclass. Circumscription of the subclass will vary with the taxonomic system being used ; the only requirement being that it includes the family Liliaceae....
(monocotyledons) of class Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida is a valid botanical name for a class of flowering plants. By definition the class will include the family Magnoliaceae, but its circumscription can otherwise vary, being more inclusive or less inclusive depending upon the classification system being discussed.-Cronquist and...
(angiosperms).
Genera
The following is an alphabetic list of genera usually included in this family :- BaeometraBaeometraBaeometra is a monotypic genus in the family Colchicaceae. It is native to southern Africa, where it is commonly called beetle lily due to the dark markings on the tepals...
- BurchardiaBurchardiaBurchardia is a genus of herbs that are endemic to Australia. The genus is named for Johann Heinrich Burkhardt, a German botanist.Species include:*Burchardia bairdiae Keighery*Burchardia congesta Lindl.*Burchardia monantha Domin...
- Camptorrhiza
- ColchicumColchicumColchicum is a genus of flowering plants containing around sixty species of perennial plants which grow from corms. It is a member of family Colchicaceae, and is native to West Asia, Europe and parts of the Mediterranean coast....
(including Androcymbium, Bulbocodium, and Merendera) - DisporumDisporumDisporum is a genus of about 20 species of perennial flowering plants, found in Asia from northern India to Japan. In the APG III classification system, it is placed in the family Colchicaceae....
- Gloriosa (including Littonia)
- Hexacyrtis
- Iphigenia
- Kuntheria
- Ornithoglossum
- SandersoniaSandersoniaSandersonia is a plant genus native to South Africa of the family Colchicaceae. It has only one species, Sandersonia aurantiaca. It is also called Christmas bells, Golden lily of the valley or Chinese lantern lily. S. aurantiaca is a perennial plant and a climber that can reach 30 inches in height...
- SchelhammeraSchelhammeraSchelhammera is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Colchicaceae, comprising two species.*Schelhammera undulata R.Br., native to New South Wales and Victoria...
- TripladeniaTripladeniaTripladenia is a monotypic genus of plants in the family Colchicaceae . The sole species is Tripladenia cunninghamii which is native to New South Wales and Queensland in Australia....
- UvulariaUvulariaUvularia is a genus of plants in the family Colchicaceae, close to the lily family . They are commonly called Bellworts, Bellfowers or Merrybells. This unusual flower is found in April and May, often on wooded slopes or in ravines and it spreads by stolons or stoloniferus rhizomes...
- WurmbeaWurmbeaWurmbea is a genus of perennial herbs that are native to Africa and Australia. There are about 40 species, with about half endemic to each continent....
(including Neodregea and Onixotis)
The phylogenetic classification of Vinnersten & Manning (2007) circumscribes the family as follows.
- tribe Burchardieae
- BurchardiaBurchardiaBurchardia is a genus of herbs that are endemic to Australia. The genus is named for Johann Heinrich Burkhardt, a German botanist.Species include:*Burchardia bairdiae Keighery*Burchardia congesta Lindl.*Burchardia monantha Domin...
R.Br. - tribe Uvularieae
- DisporumDisporumDisporum is a genus of about 20 species of perennial flowering plants, found in Asia from northern India to Japan. In the APG III classification system, it is placed in the family Colchicaceae....
Salisb. (excluding the North American species to the genus ProsartesProsartesProsartes is a genus of flowering plants in the lily family. For several decades plants of this genus were included in genus Disporum. Studies of morphology and cytology, as well as genetic analysis, show these North American plants to be different from the Asian genus Disporum, and they were...
D.Don, now in the family Liliaceae, Liliales) - UvulariaUvulariaUvularia is a genus of plants in the family Colchicaceae, close to the lily family . They are commonly called Bellworts, Bellfowers or Merrybells. This unusual flower is found in April and May, often on wooded slopes or in ravines and it spreads by stolons or stoloniferus rhizomes...
L. - tribe Tripladenieae
- Kuntheria Conran & Clifford
- SchelhammeraSchelhammeraSchelhammera is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Colchicaceae, comprising two species.*Schelhammera undulata R.Br., native to New South Wales and Victoria...
R.Br. - TripladeniaTripladeniaTripladenia is a monotypic genus of plants in the family Colchicaceae . The sole species is Tripladenia cunninghamii which is native to New South Wales and Queensland in Australia....
D.Don - tribe Iphigenieae
- Camptorrhiza E.Phillips
- Iphigenia Kunth
- tribe Anguillarieae
- Baeometra Salisb.
- WurmbeaWurmbeaWurmbea is a genus of perennial herbs that are native to Africa and Australia. There are about 40 species, with about half endemic to each continent....
Thunb. (including Neodregea C.H.Wright and Onixotis Raf.) - tribe Colchiceae
- ColchicumColchicumColchicum is a genus of flowering plants containing around sixty species of perennial plants which grow from corms. It is a member of family Colchicaceae, and is native to West Asia, Europe and parts of the Mediterranean coast....
L. (including Androcymbium Willd., Bulbocodium L. and Merendera Ramond) - Gloriosa L. (including Littonia Hook.)
- Hexacyrtis Dinter
- Ornithoglossum Salisb.
- SandersoniaSandersoniaSandersonia is a plant genus native to South Africa of the family Colchicaceae. It has only one species, Sandersonia aurantiaca. It is also called Christmas bells, Golden lily of the valley or Chinese lantern lily. S. aurantiaca is a perennial plant and a climber that can reach 30 inches in height...
Hook.
The genus Petermannia
Petermannia
Petermannia is the sole genus of plants in the family Petermanniaceae. Petermannia cirrosa, the only species in the genus, is endemic to the states of New South Wales and Queensland in Australia. it is a prickly, wiry stemmed vine which grows to 6 metres in height and has lancelote, ovate or...
F.Muell. is excluded from this family and placed in its own family Petermanniaceae, Liliales.
There is still some controversy regarding the inclusion of Androcymbium in Colchicum as genetic analysis do not separate the genera unless morphological characters are taken into account. As the investigations thus far haven't included all relevant species the question awaits resolve from larger analyses.
External links
- Colchicaceae, Uvulariaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants: descriptions, illustrations, identification, information retrieval. Version: 9 March 2006. http://delta-intkey.com.
- NCBI Taxonomy Browser
- images at PlantSystematics.org
- links at CSDL, Texas