Haloragaceae

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Haloragaceae

Myriophyllum spicatum

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Rosopsida
Subclass:	Rosidae
Order:	Saxifragales
Family:	Haloragaceae R.Br.

genera

see text

Haloragaceae is a family in the order of Saxifragales, of dicotyledon flowering plants. In the Cronquist system, it was included in the order Haloragales, but in the APG II system, it is placed in Saxifragales.

1 Distribution
2 Description
3 Genera
4 External links

[edit] Distribution

The distribution of the family is nearly worldwide. The center of species diversity is in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere.

[edit] Description

They are perennial, or occasionally annuals, and mostly leafy plants, although there are woody taxa. Some are land plants and others grow in freshwater. The plants are mainly monoecious and the flowers are nearly always small and radial. There is only one ovule per carpel. The ovaries are syncarp and epigynous.

Floral formula: $\star K_{3-4} \; C_{3-4}$ or $C_0 \; A_{2-8} \; G_{\overline{(2-4)}}$

[edit] Genera

In the family there are nine genera, with 145 species:

Glischrocaryon
Gonocarpus
Haloragis
Haloragodendron, with five species of bushes, endemic to Australia
Laurembergia
Meziella
Myriophyllum, with 60 species of water plants
Proserpinaca
Vinkia

The taxa of the earlier family Cercodiaceae and Myriophyllaceae are now included in the family Haloragaceae. Earlier, the genus Gunnera was included in this family.