| Sladeniaceae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sladenia celastrifolia | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Sladeniaceae Airy Shaw |
| Genera | |
Sladeniaceae is afamily offlowering plants containingtree species found in subtropical to tropical environments inEast Africa (Ficalhoa),Burma,Yunnan, andThailand (Sladenia). The family consists of trees with alternate, simple leaves without stipules, and flowers arranged incymose inflorescences.
The circumscription of the family is variable, with some systems describing the family as consisting solely of the genusSladenia, which has been variously considered a member of theTheaceae, theActinidiaceae, theDilleniaceae, or theTernstroemiaceae. Other systems include the genusFicalhoa and possibly the genusPentaphylax in a family withSladenia.Morphological studies of theSladenia embryo suggest it has unique characteristics that merit placing the genus in its own family.[1] However, the plant family is poorly studied and initialphylogenetic studies have raised contradictory indications about itstaxonomic placement.[2][3]
