| Gentianaceae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Gentiana acaulis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Gentianaceae Juss. [1] |
| Type genus | |
| Gentiana | |
Gentianaceae is a family of flowering plants of 103 genera and about 1600 species. [2] [3]
The family takes its name from the genus Gentiana , named after the Illyrian king Gentius.
Distribution is cosmopolitan.
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The family consists of trees, shrubs and herbs showing a wide range of colours and floral patterns. Flowers are actinomorphic and bisexual with fused sepals and petals. The stamens are attached to the inside of the petals (epipetalous) and alternate with the corolla lobes. There is a glandular disk at the base of the gynoecium, and flowers have parietal placentation. The inflorescence is cymose, with simple or complex cymes. The fruits are dehiscent septicidal capsules splitting into two halves, rarely some species have a berry. Seeds are small with copiously oily endosperms and a straight embryo. The habit varies from small trees, pachycaul shrubs to (usually) herbs, with ascending, erect or twining stems. Plants are usually rhizomatous. Leaves opposite, less often alternate or in some species whorled, simple in shape, with entire edges and bases connately attached to the stem. Stipules are absent. Plants usually accumulate bitter iridoid substances; bicollateral bundles are present. Ecologically, partial myco-heterotrophy is common among species in this family with a few genera such as Voyria and Voyriella lacking chlorophyll and being fully myco-heterotrophic.
Some of these plants have limited ranges and are protected under governmental oversight. For example, Gentianella uliginosa (Dune Gentian), which occurs in some limited areas of Wales and Scotland, is a priority species under the Biodiversity Action Plan of the United Kingdom. [4]
Gentianaceae are distributed worldwide, but most species occur in temperate zones. According to Merckx et al., [5] the neotropics were an important area for the early diversification events in Gentianaceae, most of which occurring during the Eocene. However, Pirie et al. [6] suggested that ancient vicariance cannot be ruled out as an explanation for the early origins of Exaceae across Africa, Madagascar and the Indian subcontinent unless a strong assumption is made about the maximum age of Gentianales.
Economically, some species are cultivated ornamental plants and many species yield bitter principles used medicinally and in flavorings.
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The family was described for the first time by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in 1789.
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| Gentianaceae | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gentiana is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the gentian family (Gentianaceae), the tribe Gentianeae, and the monophyletic subtribe Gentianinae. With about 400 species, it is considered a large genus. Gentians are notable for their mostly large trumpet-shaped flowers, which are often of an intense blue hue.
Melastomataceae is a family of dicotyledonous flowering plants found mostly in the tropics comprising c. 175 genera and c. 5115 known species. Melastomes are annual or perennial herbs, shrubs, or small trees.
The genus Macrocarpaea, with 105 species and two hybrids of 0.5 m herbs, shrubs, epiphytes and small trees to 10 m tall, is the largest genus of the tribe Helieae of the gentian family (Gentianaceae). Species of Macrocarpaea have diurnal and nocturnal pollinators, visited during the day by hummingbirds, insects and butterflies, and at night by bats, moths and many different kinds of insects. The common name for the genus is 'Moon-gentian'. No species are known in cultivation.
Chionanthus, common name: fringetrees, is a genus of about 150 species of flowering plants in the family Oleaceae.
Gentianella is a plant genus in the gentian family (Gentianaceae). Plants of this genus are known commonly as dwarf gentians.
Fagraea is a genus of plants in the family Gentianaceae. It includes trees, shrubs, lianas, and epiphytes. They can be found in forests, swamps, and other habitat in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, with the center of diversity in Malesia.
Halenia is a genus of plant in family Gentianaceae. It contains the following species :
Tetracera is a genus of flowering plants of the Dilleniaceae family native to the tropics. Several species are lianas.
The APG III system of flowering plant classification is the third version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy being developed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG). Published in 2009, it was superseded in 2016 by a further revision, the APG IV system.
Voyria, commonly known as ghostplants, is a genus of 20 species of herbaceous perennial plants, belonging to the family Gentianaceae. They are mostly native to warm temperate and tropical regions of the Caribbean, Central America and South America, except for V. primuloides, which is found in West and Central Africa. V. parasitica reaches as far north as the Everglades in Florida.
Spigelia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Loganiaceae. It contains around 60 species, distributed over the warmer parts of the Americas, from the latitude of Buenos Aires to the Southern United States. It was named after Adriaan van den Spiegel by Carl Linnaeus in his 1753 Species Plantarum; the type species is Spigelia anthelmia. Pinkroot is a common name for plants in this genus.
Sebaea is a genus of annual plants in the family Gentianaceae. Species occur in Africa, Madagascar, India, China, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand. The genus was paraphyletic and has been split in four genera: Exochaenium, Klackenbergia, Lagenias and Sebaeas.str.. Synapomorphies for Sebaea s.str. include the presence of extra stigma along the style and the shape of the testa cells of the seeds.
Rauvolfioideae is a subfamily of the flowering plant family Apocynaceae. Many species are woody lianas, others are shrubs or perennial herbs.
Exaceae is a flowering plant tribe in the family Gentianaceae. Exaceae comprises about 180 species assigned to eight monophyletic genera, with major centres of endemism in continental Africa, Madagascar and the southern tip of India and Sri Lanka (14 endemic species).
Tachiadenus is a plant genus in the gentian family (Gentianaceae), tribe Exaceae. It contains 12 species. The genus is endemic to Madagascar.
Symbolanthus, the ring‐gentians, are a genus of flowering plants in the family Gentianaceae, native to the montane tropics of southern Central America and northern and eastern South America.
Souroubea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Marcgraviaceae, native to southern Mexico, Central America, Trinidad, and northern South America. Some species are psychophilous, and some are sphingophilous.
Chelonanthus is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Gentianaceae.
Curtia is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Gentianaceae.
Potalia is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Gentianaceae.
