Smilacaceae
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 from Koehler (1887)
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Smilacaceae is a botanical name of a family of flowering plants. Up to some decades ago the genera now included in family Smilacaceae were often assigned to a more broadly defined family Liliaceae, but for the past twenty to thirty years most botanists have accepted Smilacaceae as a distinct family.
The APG II system, of 2003 (unchanged from the APG system, of 1998), also recognizes this family and places it in the order Liliales, in the clade monocots. Within APG II it is a family of probably two genera Heterosmilax and Smilax. The family occurs throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions of the world. Members of this family typically have woody roots and a climbing or vining form. Some have woody vining stems, often with thorns, while others are herbaceous above ground and thornless.
Some taxonomists separate the herbaceous plants native to North America in Smilax as the genus Nemexia, which is known for its malodorous flowers. Smilax would then be left with only plants of a woody, vining form with thorns. However the Flora of North America does not recognise Nemexia, nor does the AP-site.
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Other placements of the family include
- The Cronquist system, of 1981, recognized this family and placed it in order Liliales, in subclass Liliidae in class Liliopsida [=monocotyledons] of division Magnoliophyta [=angiosperms].
- The Reveal system recognized this family and placed it in order Smilacales, in subclass Liliidae which is placed as in the Cronquist system.
- The Thorne system (1992) also recognized this family, and placed it in order Dioscoreales in superorder Lilianae in subclass Liliidae [=monocotyledons] of class Magnoliopsida [=angiosperms].
- The Dahlgren system treated it as did the Thorne system (1992): see above.
[edit] External links
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- Smilacaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants: descriptions, illustrations, identification, information retrieval. Version: 9th March 2006. http://delta-intkey.com.
- Smilacaceae in Flora of North America
- links at CSDL, Texas
