''Aphanopetalum'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of twining

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

s or

vine A vine is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas, or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselves, for instance, when used in wicker work.Jackson; Benjamin; Da ...

s in the family Aphanopetalaceae which are endemic to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. The genus is placed alone in family Aphanopetalaceae, which is in turn now placed in order

Saxifragales Saxifragales is an order (biology), order of flowering plants in the Superrosids, superrosid clade of the eudicots. It contains 15 Families (biology), families and around 100 genera, with nearly 2,500 species. Well-known and economically import ...

. Until recently this family was placed in Oxalidales, and before that the genus was included in family

Cunoniaceae Cunoniaceae is a family of 27 genera and about 335 species of woody plants in the order Oxalidales, mostly found in the tropical and wet temperate regions of the Southern Hemisphere. The greatest diversity of genera are in Australia and Tasmania ...

, also within Oxalidales. The type species is '' Aphanopetalum resinosum''. There are two species: *'' Aphanopetalum clematideum'' (Harv.) Domin,

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to limestone cliffs of south western Australia *'' Aphanopetalum resinosum'' Endl. - gum vine, from northeastern Victoria, through New South Wales to northern Queensland The Aphanopetalaceae are scrambling shrubs with lenticellate stems, having opposite and serrate leaves with minute "stipules". The flowers and inflorescences are axillary. The flowers are essentially without petals, and have four large, white sepals that enlarge when in fruit (which is single-seeded).

References

External links

* Saxifragales genera Saxifragales of Australia Saxifragales {{Australia-eudicot-stub