Chloranthaceae

Chloranthaceae
File:Sarcandra glabra2.jpg
Sarcandra glabra
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
Order:	Chloranthales R.Br.
Family:	Chloranthaceae R.Br. ex Sims
Genera
Ascarina Chloranthus Hedyosmum Sarcandra

Chloranthaceae /ˌklɔərænˈθeɪʃiː/ is a family of flowering plants. The family consists of four extant genera, totalling about 75 species, of herbaceous or woody plants occurring in Southeast Asia, the Pacific, Madagascar, Central & South America, and the West Indies. The extinct genus Chloranthistemon also belongs to this family. Members of this family are aromatic and have opposite, evergreen leaves with distinctive serrate margins and interpetiolar stipules (similar to the stipules found in family Rubiaceae). The flowers are inconspicuous, and arranged in inflorescences. Petals are absent in this family, and sometimes so are sepals. The flowers can be either hermaphrodite or of separate sexes. The fruit is drupe-like, consisting of one carpel.

Chloranthaceae have been recognised as a family in most classifications but without clear relatives. Molecular systematic studies have shown that it is not closely related to any other family and is among the early-diverging lineages in the angiosperms. In particular, it is neither a eudicot nor a monocot. Fossils assigned to Chloranthaceae, or closely related, are among the oldest angiosperms known. The APG II system (2003) leaves the family unplaced as to order but Stevens (2001 onwards) accepts the order Chloranthales, containing only this family.

Some species are used in traditional medicine.

Angiosperms Amborella Nymphaeales Austrobaileyales magnoliids Chloranthales monocots Ceratophyllum eudicots

The phylogeny of the flowering plants, as of APG III (2009).

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The Cronquist system (1981) assigned the family

to the order Piperales

in subclass Magnoliidae

in class Magnoliopsida [=dicotyledons]

of division Magnoliophyta [=angiosperms].

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The Thorne system (1992) placed it

in the order Magnoliales, which was assigned

to superorder Magnolianae

in subclass Magnoliideae [=dicotyledons],

in class Magnoliopsida [=angiosperms].

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The Dahlgren system raised the family to be

its own order Chloranthales, which was assigned

to superorder Magnolianae

in subclass Magnoliideae [=dicotyledons],

in class Magnoliopsida [=angiosperms].

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External links

• Chloranthaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards) The families of flowering plants: descriptions, illustrations, identification, information retrieval. Version: 3 May 2006. http://delta-intkey.com.
• Andes Trees
• NCBI Taxonomy Browser
• Images of Chloranthus Flavon's art gallery: Chloranthaceae
• Image of Chloranthus oldhamii
• Image of Chloranthus serratus
• Images of Sarcandra glabra

• Herendeen, P. S., W. L. Crepet, and K. C. Nixon. 1993. Chloranthus-like stamens from the Upper Cretaceous of New Jersey. American Journal of Botany 80 (8): 865-871.