The Lecythidaceae comprise a 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 about 20 genera and 250-300 species of woody plant

Woody plant

A woody plant is a plant that uses wood as its structural tissue. These are typically perennial plants whose stems and larger roots are reinforced with wood produced adjacent to the vascular tissues. The main stem, larger branches, and roots of these plants are usually covered by a layer of...

s native to tropical South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

 and Madagascar

Madagascar

The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...

.

According to the most recent molecular analysis of Lecythidaceae (Mori, S. A., C.-C. Tsou, C.-C. Wu, B. Cronholm & A. Anderberg. 2007. Evolution of Lecythidaceae with an emphasis on the circumscription of Neotropical genera: information from combined ndhF and trnL-F sequence data. Amer. J. Bot. 94(3): 289-301) there are three subfamilies:

• Foetidioideae (Foetidiaceae). Madagascar. Includes only Foetidia
  Foetidia
  Foetidia is a genus of between 5-18 species of flowering plants in the family Lecythidaceae, the sole genus in the subfamily Foetidioideae...
  
  .
• Planchonioideae (including Barringtoniaceae). Restricted to the Old World tropics.
• Lecythidoideae (Lecythidaceae). Restricted to the New World tropics.

In the Mori et al. (2007) study, two other families sometimes included in Lecythidaceae, the Scytopetalaceae and Napoleonaeaceae are hypothesized as most closely related to Lecythidaceae.

More detailed information about Lecythidaceae, especially the New World taxa, can be found at the Lecythidaceae Pages.

The most important member of the family in world trade is the Brazil nut

Brazil Nut

The Brazil nut is a South American tree in the family Lecythidaceae, and also the name of the tree's commercially harvested edible seed.- Order :...

 (Bertholletia excelsa), valued for its edible nuts

Nut (fruit)

A nut is a hard-shelled fruit of some plants having an indehiscent seed. While a wide variety of dried seeds and fruits are called nuts in English, only a certain number of them are considered by biologists to be true nuts...

; the Paradise nut (Lecythis species) is also eaten.

The APG II system

APG II system

The APG II system of plant classification is the second, now obsolete, version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy that was published in April 2003 by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. It was a revision of the first APG system, published in 1998, and was superseded in 2009...

 of 2003 includes genera from the family Scytopetalaceae in the Lecythidaceae, including Rhaptopetalum

Rhaptopetalum

Rhaptopetalum is a genus of plant in family Lecythidaceae. It contains the following species :* Rhaptopetalum beguei, Mangenot* Rhaptopetalum belingense, Letouzey* Rhaptopetalum geophylax, Cheek & Gosline...

and Brazzeia

Brazzeia

Brazzeia is a genus of plant in family Lecythidaceae. It contains the following species :* Brazzeia longipedicellata, Verdc....

.

List of genera

• Abdulmajidia
  Abdulmajidia
  Abdulmajidia is a genus in the Lecythidaceae family, consists of two species from Malay Peninsula, listed as endangered species.Abdulmajidia is also placed in Barringtoniaceae by some authors .Species...
  
  Whitmore, also as Barringtoniaceae sensu Takhtajan
  Armen Takhtajan
  Armen Leonovich Takhtajan or Takhtajian , was a Soviet-Armenian botanist, one of the most important figures in 20th century plant evolution and systematics and biogeography. His other interests included morphology of flowering plants, paleobotany, and the flora of the Caucasus...
  
   1997
• Allantoma Miers
• Asteranthos
  Asteranthos
  Asteranthos is a genus of woody plant in the Lecythidaceae family.It contains the following species:* Asteranthos brasiliensis...
  
  Desf., also as Asteranthaceae
• Barringtonia
  Barringtonia
  Barringtonia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lecythidaceae. A common name is cornbeefwood.Bengali name is "Hijalna".Species include:* Barringtonia acutangula* Barringtonia asiatica* Barringtonia calyptrata...
  
  J.R.Forst. & G.Forst., also as Barringtoniaceae
• Bertholletia
  Brazil Nut
  The Brazil nut is a South American tree in the family Lecythidaceae, and also the name of the tree's commercially harvested edible seed.- Order :...
  
  Bonpl.
• Careya Roxb., also as Barringtoniaceae
• Cariniana
  Cariniana
  Cariniana is a genus of trees in the family Lecythidaceae, native to South America. Many are of importance for timber production.It contains the following species:* Cariniana decandra* Cariniana estrellensis...
  
  Casar.
• Chydenanthus Miers, also as Barringtoniaceae
• Corythophora
  Corythophora
  Corythophora is a genus of woody plant in the Lecythidaceae family.It contains the following species:* Corythophora labriculata...
  
  R.Knuth
• Couratari
  Couratari
  Couratari is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lecythidaceae, native to tropical South America. They are large trees,often rising above the rainforest canopy. The leaves are evergreen, alternate, simple, elliptical, up to 15 cm long, with a serrate to serrulate margin. Vernation lines...
  
  Aubl.
• Couroupita
  Couroupita
  Couroupita is a genus of flowering plants of Lecythidaceae family. It consists of four species native to tropical South America.Selected Species* Couroupita guianensis - Cannon-ball tree-External links:* on The Lecythidaceae Pages...
  
  Aubl.
• Crateranthus
  Crateranthus
  Crateranthus is a genus of woody plant in the Lecythidaceae family.It contains the following species:* Crateranthus talbotii...
  
  Baker f., incertae sedis according Takhtajan, perhaps Napoleonaeaceae
• Eschweilera
  Eschweilera
  Eschweilera is a genus of woody plant in the Lecythidaceae family.It contains the following species:* Eschweilera alvimii* Eschweilera amazonicaformis* Eschweilera amplexifolia* Eschweilera atropetiolata* Eschweilera baguensis...
  
  Mart. ex DC.
• Foetidia
  Foetidia
  Foetidia is a genus of between 5-18 species of flowering plants in the family Lecythidaceae, the sole genus in the subfamily Foetidioideae...
  
  Comm. ex Lam., also as Foetidiaceae
• Grias
  Grias
  Grias is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lecythidaceae, native to tropical South America and the Caribbean. They are small to medium-sized trees, growing to 5-15 m tall. The leaves are evergreen, alternate, simple, broad lanceolate, very large, up to 1 m long, with an entire or waved margin...
  
  L.
• Gustavia
  Gustavia (genus)
  Gustavia is a genus of flowering plants of Lecythidaceae family. It consists of about 41 species native to tropical South America. The following species are threatened, some are critically endangered:* Gustavia acuminata* Gustavia dodsonii...
  
  L.
• Lecythis
  Lecythis
  Lecythis is a genus of woody plant in the Lecythidaceae family containing the following 27 species:* Lecythis alutacea* Lecythis ampla* Lecythis barnebyi* Lecythis brancoensis* Lecythis chartacea* Lecythis confertiflora...
  
  Loefl.
• Napoleonaea
  Napoleonaea
  Napoleonaea is a genus of woody plant in the Lecythidaceae family.It contains the following species:* Napoleonaea egertonii* Napoleonaea lutea* Napoleonaea reptans...
  
  P.Beauv., also as Napoleonaeaceae
• Petersianthus Merr., also as Barringtoniaceae
• Planchonia
  Planchonia
  Planchonia is a genus of trees and shrubs in the family Lecythidaceae.Species include:*Planchonia careya R.Knuth - Cockatoo Apple, Cocky Apple or Billygoat Plum*Planchonia rupestris R.L.Barrett & M.D.Barrett...
  
  Blume, also as Barringtoniaceae

External links

• Lecythidaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants. http://delta-intkey.com
• Barringtoniaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants. http://delta-intkey.com
• Foetidiaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants. http://delta-intkey.com
• Asteranthaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants. http://delta-intkey.com
• Napoleonaeaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants. http://delta-intkey.com
• The Lecythidaceae Pages by Scott A. Mori and Ghillean T. Prance