Sladeniaceae is a
family of
flowering plants containing
tree species found in subtropical to tropical environments in
East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa:
Due to the historical ...
(''
Ficalhoa''),
Burma,
Yunnan, and
Thailand (''
Sladenia''). The family consists of trees with alternate, simple leaves without stipules, and flowers arranged in
cymose inflorescences.
The circumscription of the family is variable, with some systems describing the family as consisting solely of the genus ''Sladenia'', which has been variously considered a member of the
Theaceae, the
Actinidiaceae, the
Dilleniaceae, or the
Ternstroemiaceae
The Pentaphylacaceae are a small family of plants within the order Ericales. In the APG III system of 2009, it includes the former family Ternstroemiaceae.
Genera
In 2014, the Angiosperm Phylogeny Website included 14 genera in the family: Plan ...
. Other systems include the genus ''
Ficalhoa'' and possibly the genus ''
Pentaphylax'' in a family with ''Sladenia''.
Morphological studies of the ''Sladenia'' embryo suggest it has unique characteristics that merit placing the genus in its own family. However, the plant family is poorly studied and initial
phylogenetic studies have raised contradictory indications about its
taxonomic
Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification.
A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...
placement.
References
External links
*Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards)
Angiosperm Phylogeny Website.Version 7, May 2006. Retrieved 31 May 2007
Ericales families
{{Ericales-stub