Plumbaginaceae

Plumbaginaceae
Plumbago europaea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Core eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Plumbaginaceae Juss.
genera
See text

in Hyderabad, India.

Dyerophytum africanum in Vogelfederberg, Namibia.

Plumbaginaceae is a family of flowering plants, with a cosmopolitan distribution. The family is sometimes referred to as the leadwort family or the plumbago family.

Most species in this family are perennial herbaceous plants, but a few grow as lianas or shrubs. The plants have perfect flowers and are pollinated by insects. They are found in many different climatic regions, from arctic to tropical conditions, but are particularly associated with salt-rich steppes, marshes, and sea coasts.

The family has been recognized by most taxonomists. The APG II system (2003; unchanged from the APG system of 1998), recognizes this family and assigns it to the order Caryophyllales in the clade core eudicots. It includes 24 genera and about 800 species.

The 1981 Cronquist system placed the family in a separate order Plumbaginales, which included no other families. The Dahlgren system had segregated some of these plants as family Limoniaceae.

Genera

• Acantholimon
• Aegialitis
• Armeria, the thrifts or seapinks
• Bamiana
• Bukiniczia
• Cephalorhizum
• Ceratostigma, the leadworts
• Chaetolimon
• Dictyolimon
• Dyerophytum
• Eremolimon
• Ghasnianthus
• Goniolimon
• Ikonnikovia
• Limoniastrum
• Limoniopsis
• Limonium (syn. Statice), the sealavenders
• Muellerolimon
• Neogontscharovia
• Plumbagella
• Plumbago, the leadworts or plumbagos
• Popoviolimon
• Psylliostachys
• Vassilczenkoa

Cultivation and uses

Chalk glands are found in this family.The family includes a number of popular garden species, which are grown for their attractive flowers.

References and external links

• Plumbaginaceae in Topwalks
• Plumbaginaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants.
• NCBI Taxonomy Browser
• links at CSDL, Texas