Hydrophyllaceae
Encyclopedia
Hydrophylloideae is a subfamily of the Boraginaceae
family
of flowering plants. Their taxonomic position is somewhat uncertain. Traditionally, and under the Cronquist system
, they were given family rank under the name Hydrophyllaceae, and treated as part of the order
Solanales
. More recent systems have recognised their close relationship to the borage family, Boraginaceae
, initially by placing Hydrophyllaceae and Boraginaceae together in an order Boraginales
, and most recently by demoting Hydrophyllaceae to a subfamily of Boraginaceae. However the placement and circumscription of Boraginaceae is still uncertain: it is unplaced at order level, and there is some prospect of it being split up again in future.
Plants in this subfamily may be annual or perennial herbs or shrubs, with either a prostrate or an erect stem. Most have a taproot. The flowers are bisexual, and normally radial, with 5 petals and 5 stamens. About 20 genera, containing around 300 species, are recognised; many of them are native to the western United States
.
The subfamily takes its name from the genus Hydrophyllum
(Waterleaf). Well known members include Emmenanthe
(Whispering Bells), Nemophila
(Baby Blue Eyes) and Phacelia
(Scorpionweed).
Boraginaceae
Boraginaceae, the Borage or Forget-me-not family, include a variety of shrubs, trees, and herbs, totaling about 2,000 species in 146 genera found worldwide.A number of familiar plants belong to this family....
family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
of flowering plants. Their taxonomic position is somewhat uncertain. Traditionally, and under the Cronquist system
Cronquist system
The Cronquist system is a taxonomic classification system of flowering plants. It was developed by Arthur Cronquist in his texts An Integrated System of Classification of Flowering Plants and The Evolution and Classification of Flowering Plants .Cronquist's system places flowering plants into two...
, they were given family rank under the name Hydrophyllaceae, and treated as part of the order
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
Solanales
Solanales
The Solanales are an order of flowering plants, included in the asterid group of dicotyledons. Some older sources used the name Polemoniales for this order....
. More recent systems have recognised their close relationship to the borage family, Boraginaceae
Boraginaceae
Boraginaceae, the Borage or Forget-me-not family, include a variety of shrubs, trees, and herbs, totaling about 2,000 species in 146 genera found worldwide.A number of familiar plants belong to this family....
, initially by placing Hydrophyllaceae and Boraginaceae together in an order Boraginales
Boraginales
Boraginales is a valid taxonomic name at the rank of order for a group of flowering plants. When recognised, it is includes Boraginaceae and closely related asterid families....
, and most recently by demoting Hydrophyllaceae to a subfamily of Boraginaceae. However the placement and circumscription of Boraginaceae is still uncertain: it is unplaced at order level, and there is some prospect of it being split up again in future.
Plants in this subfamily may be annual or perennial herbs or shrubs, with either a prostrate or an erect stem. Most have a taproot. The flowers are bisexual, and normally radial, with 5 petals and 5 stamens. About 20 genera, containing around 300 species, are recognised; many of them are native to the western United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The subfamily takes its name from the genus Hydrophyllum
Hydrophyllum
Hydrophyllum is a genus of flowering plants in the waterleaf family which includes several herbaceous perennials native to North America. They include Hydrophyllum capitatum, the dwarf waterleaf or ballhead waterleaf. Its head is made of a series of five-petaled, five-stamened purple flowers...
(Waterleaf). Well known members include Emmenanthe
Emmenanthe
Emmenanthe is a monotypic genus which contains only one species, Emmenanthe penduliflora, known by the common name whispering bells. This is a grassland wildflower found in the western United States.-Description:...
(Whispering Bells), Nemophila
Nemophila
Nemophila is a genus found in the flowering plant family Hydrophyllaceae.Most of the species in Nemophila contain the phrase "baby blue-eyes" in their common names. N. menziesii has the common name of "Baby blue-eyes". N. parviflora is called the "Smallflower baby blue-eyes" and N. spatulata is...
(Baby Blue Eyes) and Phacelia
Phacelia
Phacelia is a genus of about 200 species of annual or perennial herbaceous plants, native to North and South America....
(Scorpionweed).
Genera
- CodonCodon (genus)Codon is a small genus of plants from South Africa in the family Boraginaceae....
- Draperia
- Ellisia
- EmmenantheEmmenantheEmmenanthe is a monotypic genus which contains only one species, Emmenanthe penduliflora, known by the common name whispering bells. This is a grassland wildflower found in the western United States.-Description:...
- EriodictyonEriodictyonEriodictyon is a genus of plants within the Hydrophylloideae subfamily of the Boraginaceae family.It includes Yerba Santa , along with other similarly named plants...
- EucryptaEucryptaEucrypta is a genus of flowering plants containing only two species. The genus name Eucrypta means "well-hidden", which refers to the seeds being "hidden" in the small green bristled fruits. The two species are known generally as hideseeds. They are both native to the southwestern United States...
- HesperochironHesperochironHesperochiron is a small genus of plants in the waterleaf family containing two species native to western North America. These are thick-rooted perennial herbs growing in squat patches at ground level and producing bluish-white flowers with yellow throats...
- Hydrolea
- HydrophyllumHydrophyllumHydrophyllum is a genus of flowering plants in the waterleaf family which includes several herbaceous perennials native to North America. They include Hydrophyllum capitatum, the dwarf waterleaf or ballhead waterleaf. Its head is made of a series of five-petaled, five-stamened purple flowers...
- Lemmonia
- Miltitzia
- NamaNama (plant)Nama is a genus of herbaceous plants belonging to the family Boraginaceae. Most are found in North America.-Selected species:-Formerly placed here:*Evolvulus convolvuloides Stearn...
- NemophilaNemophilaNemophila is a genus found in the flowering plant family Hydrophyllaceae.Most of the species in Nemophila contain the phrase "baby blue-eyes" in their common names. N. menziesii has the common name of "Baby blue-eyes". N. parviflora is called the "Smallflower baby blue-eyes" and N. spatulata is...
- Nemophilla
- PhaceliaPhaceliaPhacelia is a genus of about 200 species of annual or perennial herbaceous plants, native to North and South America....
- PholistomaPholistomaPholistoma is a small genus of flowering plants in the borage family known generally as fiesta flowers. There are three species, all native to a section of western North America between Oregon and Baja California. They are fleshy annual herbs producing angled bristly or prickly stems with several...
- RomanzoffiaRomanzoffiaRomanzoffia is a genus of flowering plants in the waterleaf family known as mistmaids or mistmaidens. There are 5 species which are native to western North America from California north to Alaska. Mistmaids may be annual or perennial and low patchy herbs to small bushes, depending on species...
- TricardiaTricardiaTricardia is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the borage family containing the single species Tricardia watsonii, which is known by the common name threehearts. It is native to the southwestern United States, where it grows in deserts and mountains in sandy open habitat, often beneath shrubs...
- TurriculaTurricula (plant genus)The Poodle-dog bush or Common turricula, Turricula parryi, is the only species currently classified in the genus Turricula, within the waterleaf subfamily, Hydrophylloideae...
- WigandiaWigandiaWigandia is a genus of flowering plants within the waterleaf subfamily, Hydrophylloideae. They are found mainly in Central America and South America, though one or two species are found as far north as the United States...