English: Milkwort family.
German: Kreuzblumengewächse.
Dutch: Vleugeltjesbloemenfamilie.
Members: ± 17 genera; ± 900 species; over half of the species are in one genus, Polygala.
Content: triterpenoid saponins, polygalasaponins; methyl salicylate.
Region: cosmopolitan.
BotanyHerbs, shrubs and trees.
TaxonomyPolygalaceae is one of the 3 Families in
Fabales in the
Apg3 classification, including the families Diclidantheraceae, Moutabeaceae and
Xanthophyllaceae.
Plant theoryIn the first version of the
Plant theory Polygalaceae was placed in
Subphase 2.
In the second version of the
Plant theory Polygalaceae is placed in
Subphase 1. It inculdes the small families
Surianaceae and Quillayaceae, that were in
Subphase 1.
TribesTribe Carpolobieae: Atroxima; Carpolobia.
Tribe Moutabeae Chodat; Balgoya; Barnhartia; Diclidanthera; Eriandra; Moutabea.
Tribe Polygaleae: Chodat; Acanthocladus; Ancylotropis; Badiera; Bredemeyera; Comesperma; Epirixanthes; Monnina; Muraltia; Polygala; Salomonia; Securidaca.
Tribe Xanthophylleae: Chodat; Xanthophyllum.
Uncertain placed: Monrosia; Nylandtia; †Paleosecuridaca.
PolygalaceaeTribes: Carpolobieae, Moutabeae, Polygaleae, Xanthophylleae
Genera: Acanthocladus, Asemeia, Atroxima, Badiera, Balgoya, Barnhartia, Bredemeyera, Caamembeca, Carpolobia, Comesperma, Diclidanthera, Epirixanthes, Eriandra, Gymnospora, Hebecarpa, Heterosamara, Monnina, Moutabea, Muraltia, Nylandtia, Phlebotaenia, Polygala, Polygaloides, Rhinotropis, Salomonia, Securidaca, Xanthophyllum
LiteraturePastore 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.