Garryaceae

Garryaceae
Garrya elliptica foliage and catkins
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Garryales
Family: Garryaceae
Lindl.[1]
Genera

Garryaceae is a small family of plants known commonly as the silktassels.[2] It contains two genera:[2]

Aucuba was included in the family Cornaceae or Aucubaceae in some classification systems.[2]

Together with Eucommia ulmoides the Garryaceae are currently placed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group in an own order, the Garryales.

Chemical characteristics

Petroselinic acid occurs as the major fatty acid in Aucuba and Garrya species, and is also found in the families Griseliniaceae, Apiaceae and Araliaceae of the Apiales.[3]

Distribution

The family is found in warm temperate and subtropical regions, Garrya in North America, and Aucuba in eastern Asia. They are evergreen shrubs or small trees with opposite, simple leaves. While they are different in morphology, the two genera have similar phytochemistries and can be intergrafted.[2]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Garryaceae.
  1. ^ Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (2009). "An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG III". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 161 (2): 105–121. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00996.x. hdl:10654/18083.
  2. ^ a b c d Garryaceae. Flora of North America, efloras.org.
  3. ^ B. Breuer; T. Stuhlfauth; H. Fock; H. Huber (1987). "Fatty acids of some Cornaceae, Hydrangeaceae, Aquifoliaceae, Hamamelidaceae and Styracaceae". Phytochemistry. 26 (5): 1441–1445. Bibcode:1987PChem..26.1441B. doi:10.1016/S0031-9422(00)81830-0.


Stub icon

This Asterid article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.