Vochysiaceae

Vochysiaceae
Vochysia herbacea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Myrtales
Family:	Vochysiaceae A.St.-Hil.
Genera [1]
Callisthene Mart. Erisma Rudge Erismadelphus Mildbr. Korupodendron Litt & Cheek Mahechadendron W.Ariza, Cortés-Ballén & Fern.Alonso Qualea Aubl. Ruizterania Marc.-Berti Salvertia A.St.-Hil. Vochysia Aubl.

Vochysiaceae is a plant family belonging to the order Myrtales.

Description

Trees or shrubs with opposite leaves; flowers are zygomorph 1-(3)-5 merous; ovary inferior or superior; one fertile stamen; fruits samara or capsules.

Biogeography

Seven of the nine genera are native to the Neotropics. The genera Erismadelphus and Korupodendron are native to West and Central Africa.

Evolutionary history

The family likely originated in South America. Erismadelphus is thought to have diverged from Erisma approximately 30 million years ago, and traveled to Africa as the result of long-distance dispersal.

Systematics

Vochysiaceae are closest to Myrtaceae. ^[2] Vochysiaceae consist of 9 genera with about 250 species. ^[1] The family is classified into two tribes:

Tribe Erismeae : one inferior ovary and winged fruits

• Erisma Rudge (21 species)
• Erismadelphus Mildbr. (2 species)
• Korupodendron Litt & Cheek (1 species)

Tribe Vochysieae: three fused superior ovaries and capsule fruits

• Callisthene Mart. (8 species)
• Qualea Aubl. (53 species)
• Mahechadendron W.Ariza, Cortés-Ballén & Fern.Alonso (1 species)
• Ruizterania Marc.-Bert. (14 species)
• Salvertia A.St.-Hil. (1 species)
• Vochysia Aubl. (148 species)

The genus Euphronia , previously included in Vochysiaceae, is unrelated and now stands alone in the family Euphroniaceae, more closely related to the family Chrysobalanaceae.

References

1. "Vochysiaceae A.St.-Hil". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 25 July 2025.
2. Conti, E., A. Litt, P.G. Wilson, S.A Graham, B.G. Briggs, L.A.S. Johnson, K.J. Sytsma. 1997. Interfamiliar relationships in Myrtales: molecular phylogeny and patterns of morphological evolution. Systematic Botany 22: 629-647

• Family of Vochysiaceae link APWebsite. (engl.)
• Amy Litt & Dennis W. Stevenson: Floral development and morphology of Vochysiaceae. I. The structure of the gynoecium in American Journal of Botany, 90, 2003, S. 1533-1547: Online.
• M. L. Kawasaki: Vochysiaceae, S. 480–487 in Klaus Kubitzki: The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants, Volume 9, Flowering Plants - Eudicots, Springer Berlin, Heidelberg, 2007, ISBN   978-3-540-32214-6.
• F. Carnevale Neto et al.: Vochysiaceae: secondary metabolites, ethnopharmacology and pharmacological potential, "Phytochemistry Reviews" (Print), v. 10, p. 413-429, 2011, DOI: 10.1007/s11101-011-9213-5.