Bombacaceae

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Bombax ceiba flower

Bombacaceae were long recognised as a family of

Durionaceae. Irrespective of current taxonomic status, many of the species originally included in the Bombacaceae are of considerable ecological, historical, horticultural, and economic importance, such as balsa, kapok, baobab and durian
.

Current taxonomy

Recent phylogenetic research has shown that Bombacaceae as traditionally circumscribed (including tribe Durioneae) is not a monophyletic group. Bombacaceae is no longer recognized by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group I 1998, II 2003 and Kubitzki system 2003 at the rank of family, the bulk of the taxa in question being treated as subfamilies Bombacoideae and Helicteroideae within family Malvaceae sensu lato. A close relationship between Bombacaceae and Malvaceae has long been recognized but until recently the families have been kept separate in most classification systems, and continue to be separated in many references, including the reference work in classification of flowering plants: Heywood et al. 2007 [1] and Takhtajan 2009,[2] but have been lumped together in Angiosperm Phylogeny Website.[3]

Heywood et al. [1] say "although closely related to Malvaceae, molecular data supports their separation. Only pollen and habit seem to provide a morphological basis for the separation." On the other hand, they say: "One approach is to lump them [the families in the core Malvales, including Bombacaceae] all into a 'super' Malvaceae, recognizing them as subfamilies. The other, taken here, is to recognize each of these ten groups as families."

As circumscribed in its traditional sense, the family Bombacaceae includes around 30 genera (25 genera after Heywood et al.

balsa, Ochroma lagopus. The fruit of the durian, Durio zibethinus is famous, tasting better than it smells. At one time kapok fibre from the tree Ceiba pentandra was used in making lifebuoys. The baobabs or "bottle trees" (Adansonia spp.) are important icons in certain parts of Africa, Australia and Madagascar
, noted for their immensely stout trunk development, a mechanism for enhancing water storage.

Genera
Genera of tribe Durioneae excluded from Bombacaceae after Heywood et al. 2007 and that should be included in
Durionaceae
[1]
Genus that should be excluded from Bombacaceae after Heywood et al. 2007 and that be included in Malvaceae s. s.[1]
Genera considered synonym after Kubitzki 2003 [4]
  • Bombacopsis
     Pittier = Pachira Aubl.
  • Chorisia
     Kunth = Ceiba Mill.
  • Rhodognaphalon (Ulbr.) Roberty = Pachira Aubl.
Genus not treated in Kubitzki [4]
  • Lahia Hassk., synonym of Durio, according to Mabberley [6]

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-1-55407-206-4
    .
  2. ISBN 978-1-4020-9608-2
    .
  3. ^ "Angiosperm Phylogeny Website - Malvales". Missouri Botanical Garden.
  4. ^ a b c d Kubitzki, K. & Bayer, C., (2003).The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants Vol. 5: Malvales, Capparales and Non-betalain Caryophyllales
  5. ^ Baum, D. A., DeWitt Smith, S., Yen, A., Alverson, W. S., Nyffeler, R., Whitlock, B. A. & Oldham, R. A. (2004). American Journal of Botany 91(11):1863-1871.
  6. ISBN 0-521-41421-0
    .
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