| Balanophoraceae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| ABalanophora sp. from theWestern Ghats | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Santalales |
| Family: | Balanophoraceae Rich.[1] |
| Genera | |
TheBalanophoraceae are asubtropical totropicalfamily ofobligate parasiticflowering plants, notable for their unusual development and formerly obscure affinities. In the broadestcircumscription, the family consists of 16 genera. Alternatively, three genera may be split off into the segregate familyMystropetalaceae.
The plants are normally found growing on tree roots in moist inland forests and have an above groundinflorescence with the overall appearance of a fungus, composed of numerous minute flowers. The inflorescences develop inside the tuberous underground part of the plant, before rupturing it and surfacing. The plants are monoecious or dioecious, and the fruits are indehiscent drupes or nuts. The underground portion, which attaches itself to the host, looks like a tuber, and is not a proper root system. The plants contain nochlorophyll.Balanophora means "bearing an acorn" (from the shape of the female inflorescence).
In the classification system ofDahlgren, the Balanophoraceae were placed in the order Balanophorales in thesuperorder Balanophoriflorae (also called Balanophoranae). TheAPG IV system of 2016 (unchanged from theAPG III system of 2009[2]), also recognizes this family, including it in the orderSantalales,[3] where it was also placed by theCronquist system (1981).
A 2015molecular phylogenetic suggested that ascircumscribed in the APG IV system, Balanophoraceae is not monophyletic. The authors of the study proposed dividing Balanophoraceaes.l. into Balanophoraceaes.s. and the family Mystropetalaceae, containing three monotypic genera,Dactylanthus,Hachettea andMystropetalon. The cladogram below shows the relationships obtained (using the broad APG IV circumscriptions ofOlacaceae andSantalaceae).[4][5]
| Balanophoraceaes.l. |
As of July 2021[update], the broadly circumscribed family was accepted byPlants of the World Online, which included the following genera.[1] Other sources place three of the genera in the segregate family Mystropetalaceae.[4][5]
Media related toBalanophoraceae at Wikimedia Commons
Data related toBalanophoraceae at Wikispecies
