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| Buxaceae | |
|---|---|
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| Buxus sempervirens | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Buxales |
| Family: | Buxaceae Dumort.[1] |
| Genera | |
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TheBuxaceae are a smallfamily of six genera and about 123 known species[2] offlowering plants. They areshrubs and smalltrees, with acosmopolitan distribution. A seventh genus, sometimes accepted in the past (Notobuxus), has been shown by genetic studies to be included withinBuxus (Balthazaret al., 2000).
The family is recognised by most taxonomists, and it is commonly known as thebox family. However, its placement and circumscription has varied; some taxonomists treatedStyloceras in its own family Stylocerataceae,Didymeles in its own family Didymelaceae,Haptanthus in Haptanthaceae (now all included in Buxaceae)[1]), and formerlySimmondsia was included, which is not related and now usually placed in its own family Simmondsiaceae.
TheAPG II system of 2003 recognises the family, but in a new circumscription in that it includes the genusDidymeles (two species of evergreen trees from Madagascar). However, APG II does allow the option of segregating this genus as familyDidymelaceae, as an optionalsegregate. This represents a slight change from theAPG system of 1998, which firmly recognised both families as separate. In both APG and APG II, the family Buxaceae is unplaced as to order and left among the basal lineages of theeudicots. TheAP website suggests instating the orderBuxales for this family and the family Didymelaceae. In theAPG IV system of 2016,Haptanthus andDidymeles are included in Buxaceae, which is the only family in Buxales.[1]
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