Polygalaceae

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids I
Ordo: Fabales

Familia: Polygalaceae
Tribus: Carpolobieae – Moutabeae – Polygaleae – Xanthophylleae
Genera: Acanthocladus – Asemeia – Atroxima – Badiera – Balgoya – Barnhartia – Bredemeyera – Caamembeca – Carpolobia – Comesperma – Diclidanthera – Epirixanthes – Eriandra – Gymnospora – Hebecarpa – Heterosamara – Hualania – Monnina – Monrosia – Moutabea – Muraltia – Nylandtia – Phlebotaenia – Polygala – Polygaloides – Rhamphopetalum – Rhinotropis – Salomonia – Securidaca – Xanthophyllum
Paleogenera: †Paleosecuridaca – †Psilastephanocolporites

Name

Polygalaceae Hoffmanns. & Link, Fl. Portug. 1: 62. (1809) nom. cons.

Type genus: Polygala L., Sp. Pl. 2: 701. (1753)

Synonymy

Diclidantheraceae J.Agardh, 1858 (Theoria Syst. Pl.:195; "Diclidanthereae"), nom. cons.
Type genus: Diclidanthera Mart., 1827
Moutabeaceae Pfeiff., 1873 (Nomencl. Bot. 2 :364; "Moutabeae")
Type genus: Moutabea Aubl., 1775
Xanthophyllaceae Gagnep. ex Reveal & Hoogland, 1990 (Adansonia 12 :206)
Type genus: Xanthophyllum Roxb., 1820

References

Hoffmannsegg, J.C. von & Link, J.H.F. 1809. Flore Portugaise ou description de toutes les plantes qui croissent naturellement en Portugal. Berlin 1: 62.

Additional references

Abbott, J.R. 2011. Notes on the disintegration of Polygala (Polygalaceae) with four new genera for the flora of North America. Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas 5: 125–137. BHL JSTOR Reference page.
Abbott, J.R. & Pastore, J.F.B. 2015. Preliminary synopsis of the genus Hebecarpa (Polygalaceae). Kew Bulletin 70-39: 1–8. DOI: 10.1007/s12225-015-9589-2 Reference page.
Eriksen, B. 1993. Phylogeny of the Polygalaceae and its taxonomic implications. Plant Systematics and Evolution 186: 33–55. DOI: 10.1007/BF00937712 Reference page.
Erikssen, B, & C. Persson. 2007. Polygalaceae. The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants 9:345-363. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-540-32219-1_41
Mota, M., Abbott, J.R., Salas, R.M., Neubig, K.M. & Pastore, J.F.B. 2019. Three lonely Argentines: Toward a new generic delimitation in Polygalaceae. Taxon 68(3): 522-536. DOI: 10.1002/tax.12090 Paywall Reference page.
Pastore, J.F.B. 2012. Caamembeca: generic status and new name for Polygala subgenus Ligustrina (Polygalaceae). Kew Bulletin 67: 435–442. DOI: 10.1007/s12225-012-9360-x JSTOR PDF Reference page.
Pastore, J.F.B. 2014. Saint-Hilaire’s Polygalaceae. Phytotaxa 158(3): 201–223. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.158.3.1 PDF Reference page.
Pastore, J.F.B. & Moraes, P.L.R. de. 2013. Generic status and lectotypifications for Gymnospora (Polygalaceae). Novon 22(3): 304–306. DOI: 10.3417/2010113 BHL JSTOR ResearchGate Reference page.
Persson, C. 2001. Phylogenetic relationships in Polygalaceae based on plastid DNA sequences from the trnL-F region. Taxon 50(3): 763–779. DOI: 10.2307/1223706 Reference page.
Pigg, K. B., DeVore, M. L., & Wojciechowski, M. F., 2008. Paleosecuridaca curtisii gen. et sp. nov., Securidaca‐Like Samaras (Polygalaceae) from the Late Paleocene of North Dakota and Their Significance to the Divergence of Families within the Fabales. International Journal of Plant Science 169(9):1304–1313.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2022. Polygalaceae in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2022 Jan. 6. Reference page.
Hassler, M. Jan.. Polygalaceae. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. Jan.. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: Jan. 6 {{{3}}}. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2016. Polygalaceae. Published online. Accessed: Oct. 15 2016.
Stevens, P.F. 2001 onwards. Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 14, July 2017 [and more or less continuously updated since]. Online. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2016. Polygalaceae. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 15 Oct. 2016.
Reveal, J. L. 2010. "Indices Nominum Supragenericorum Plantarum Vascularium – PO-PZ." Accessed November 4, 2010.

Vernacular names
العربية: مغزرية
asturianu: Poligalacees
azərbaycanca: Südotuçiçəklilər
български: Телчаркови
català: Poligalàcia
čeština: Vítodovité
dansk: Mælkeurt-familien
Deutsch: Kreuzblumengewächse
English: Milkwort family
español: Poligaláceas
eesti: Vahulillelised
فارسی: شیرآوریان
suomi: Linnunruohokasvit
français: Polygalacées
galego: Poligaláceas
hrvatski: Krestuščevke
hornjoserbsce: Křižničkowe rostliny
日本語: ヒメハギ科
ქართული: წიწინაურისებრნი
қазақша: Полигала тұқымдасы
한국어: 원지과
lietuvių: Putokšliniai
македонски: Млечни треви
Nederlands: Vleugeltjesbloemfamilie
norsk: Blåfjærfamilien
polski: Krzyżownicowate
русский: Истодовые
slovenčina: Horčinkovité
svenska: Jungfrulinsväxter
ไทย: วงศ์ต่างไก่ป่า
Türkçe: Süt otugiller
українська: Китяткові
Tiếng Việt: Họ Viễn chí
中文: 远志科

The Polygalaceae or the milkwort family are made up of flowering plants in the order Fabales. They have a near-cosmopolitan range, with about 27 genera and ca. 900 known species[2] of herbs, shrubs and trees. Over half of the species are in one genus, Polygala, the milkworts.

The family was first described in 1809 by Johann Hoffmansegg and Johann Link.[3] In 1896, Robert Chodat split it into 3 tribes. A fourth tribe was split off from the tribe Polygaleae in 1992.[4] Under the Cronquist classification system, Polygalaceae were treated in a separate order of their own, Polygalales. Currently, according to the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, the family belongs in Fabales.

Description

Polygalaceae are annual or perennial herbs, shrubs, shrublets, and small trees. Its zygomorphic, hermaphrodite, bisexual flowers have 3-5 petals and 5 sepals.[5][6] Its leaves are usually alternate, but may be opposite, fascicled, or verticillate.[5] Each flower usually contains 8 stamens, though this may range from 3 to 10. They are usually in 2 series.[6] The fruits of each plant can be a capsule, samara, or drupe.[5]
Tribes and genera

The Polygalaceae comprise the following genera,[5] with tribes based on various sources.[7][8][9][10][11][12]

Carpolobieae Eriksen
Atroxima Stapf
Carpolobia G. Don
Moutabeae Chodat
Barnhartia Gleason
Diclidanthera Mart.
Eriandra P. Royen & Steenis
Moutabea Aubl.
Polygaleae Chodat
Acanthocladus Klotzsch ex Hassk.
Asemeia Raf.
Badiera DC.
Bredemeyera Willd.
Caamembeca J.F.B. Pastore
Comesperma Labill.
Epirixanthes Blume
Gymnospora (Chodat) J.F.B. Pastore
Hebecarpa (Chodat) J.R. Abbott
Heterosamara Kuntze
Hualania Phil.
Monnina Ruiz & Pav.
Monrosia Grondona
Muraltia DC.
Phlebotaenia Griseb.
Polygala L.
Polygaloides Haller
Rhamphopetalum J.F.B.Pastore & M.Mota
Rhinotropis (S.F. Blake) J.R. Abbott
Salomonia Lour.
Securidaca L.
Xanthophylleae Chodat
Xanthophyllum Roxb.
Other genera
Trigoniastrum Miq.

Fossils

†Deviacer Manchester
†Paleosecuridaca Pigg, Kathleen B., M.L. DeVore & M.F. Wojc. 2008

Systematics

Modern molecular phylogenetics suggest the following relationships:[12][13][14][15][16][17]
 
 

Surianaceae (outgroup)   Polygalaceae Xanthophylleae Xanthophyllum     Moutabeae     Moutabea     Balgoya (now included in Moutabea)         Eriandra       Barnhartia     Diclidanthera           Carpolobieae   Atroxima     Carpolobia     Polygaleae Clade I   Bredemeyera       Acanthocladus       Gymnospora       Hebecarpa     Badiera           Clade II     Securidaca         Phlebotaenia     Rhinotropis         Comesperma       Ancylotropis     Monnina                 Asemeia     Caamembeca         Hualania           Heterosamara       Polygaloides     Polygala subgen. Chodatia           Salomonia     Epirixanthes           Polygala subgen. Polygala (Old World Clade)     Polygala subgen. Polygala (New World Clade)       Muraltia

 
 
References

Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (2009). "An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG III" (PDF). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 161 (2): 105–121. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00996.x. Retrieved 2013-07-06.
Christenhusz, M. J. M. & Byng, J. W. (2016). "The number of known plants species in the world and its annual increase". Phytotaxa. 261 (3): 201–217. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1.
Harvard University; Royal Botanic Gardens Kew; Australian National Herbarium. "Polygalaceae". International Plant Names Index. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
Eriksen, Bente (1993). "Phylogeny of the Polygalaceae and its taxonomic implications". Plant Systematics and Evolution. 186 (1/2): 33–55. doi:10.1007/BF00937712. ISSN 0378-2697. JSTOR 23674643. S2CID 32590790.
"Polygalaceae Hoffmanns. & Link". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2020-04-14.
"Polygalaceae". Flora of Victoria. Government of Victoria, Australia. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
Abbott JR. (2011). "Notes on the disintegration of Polygala (Polygalaceae), with four new genera for the flora of North America". Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas. 5 (1): 125–137. JSTOR 41972495.
Pastore JFB. (2012). "Caamembeca: Generic status and new name for Polygala subgenus Ligustrina (Polygalaceae)". Kew Bull. 67 (3): 435–442. doi:10.1007/s12225-012-9360-x. S2CID 19252598.
Pastore JF, Rodrigues de Moraes PL (2013). "Generic status and lectotypifications for Gymnospora (Polygalaceae)". Novon. 22 (3): 304–306. doi:10.3417/2010113. S2CID 85269764.
Abbott JR, Pastore JF (2015). "Preliminary synopsis of the genus Hebecarpa (Polygalaceae)". Kew Bull. 70 (3): 39. doi:10.1007/s12225-015-9589-2. S2CID 22601207.
Freire-Fierro A. (2015). Systematics of Monnina (Polygalaceae) (Ph.D.). Drexel University. Archived from the original on 2017-03-19. Retrieved 2017-03-19.
Pastore JF, Abbott JR, Neubig KM, Whitten WM, Mascarenhas RB, Almeida Mota MC, van den Berg C (2017). "A molecular phylogeny and taxonomic notes in Caamembeca (Polygalaceae)". Syst Bot. 42 (1): 54–62. doi:10.1600/036364417X694935. S2CID 90353852.
Persson C. (2001). "Phylogenetic relationships in Polygalaceae based on plastid DNA sequences from the trnL–F region". Taxon. 50 (3 (Golden Jubilee Part 5)): 763–779. doi:10.2307/1223706. JSTOR 1223706.
Forest F, Chase MW, Persson C, Crane PR, Hawkins JA (2007). "The role of biotic and abiotic factors in evolution of ant dispersal in the milkwort family (Polygalaceae)". Evolution. 61 (7): 1675–1694. doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.2007.00138.x. PMID 17598748. S2CID 37523521.
Bello MA, Bruneau A, Forest F, Hawkins JA (2009). "Elusive relationships within order Fabales: Phylogenetic analyses using matK and rbcL sequence data". Syst Bot. 34 (1): 102–114. doi:10.1600/036364409787602348. S2CID 85655712.
Abbott JR. (2009). Phylogeny of the Polygalaceae and a revision of Badiera (PDF) (Ph.D.). University of Florida.
Mennes CB, Moerland MS, Rath M, Smets EF, Merckx VS (2015). "Evolution of mycoheterotrophy in Polygalaceae: The case of Epirixanthes". Am J Bot. 102 (4): 598–608. doi:10.3732/ajb.1400549. PMID 25878092.