Rhamnaceae

Rhamnaceae Temporal range: Late Cretaceous–Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Rhamnus pumila Turra
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Rhamnaceae Juss.
Type genus
Rhamnus L.
Genera
See text
The range of Rhamnaceae.
Synonyms
Frangulaceae DC. Phylicaceae J.Agardh Ziziphaceae Adans. ex Post & Kuntze[1]

The Rhamnaceae are a large family of flowering plants, mostly trees, shrubs, and some vines, commonly called the buckthorn family.^[2] Rhamnaceae is included in the order Rosales.^[3]

The family contains about 55 genera and 950 species.^[4] The Rhamnaceae have a worldwide distribution, but are more common in the subtropical and tropical regions. The earliest fossil evidence of Rhamnaceae is from the Late Cretaceous. Fossil flowers have been collected from the Upper Cretaceous of Mexico and the Paleocene of Argentina.^[5]

Leaves of family Rhamnaceae members are

buds instead of one, one developing into a thorn, the other one into a shoot.

The

(or one by abortion).

The fruits are mostly berries, fleshy drupes, or nuts. Some are adapted to wind carriage, but most are dispersed by mammals and birds. Chinese jujube is the fruit of the jujube tree (Ziziphus jujuba) and is a major fruit in China.

The American genus Ceanothus, which has several showy ornamental species, has nitrogen-fixing root nodules.^[6]

Economic uses of the Rhamnaceae are chiefly as ornamental plants and as the source of many brilliant green and yellow dyes. The wood of Rhamnus was also the most favoured species to make charcoal for use in gunpowder before the development of modern propellants.

• 
  Alphitonia ponderosa
• 
  Ceanothus
• 
  Ceanothus papillosus var. roweanus at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Berkeley, California

Genera

Systematics

Modern molecular phylogenetics recommend the following clade-based classification of Rhamnaceae:^[10]

Elaeagnaceae (outgroup) Rhamnaceae Ampeloziziphoids Ventilago Bathiorhamnus Ampelozizyphus Doerpfeldia Rhamnoids Maesopsis Scutia Rhamnus Frangula Sageretia Berchemia Rhamnidium Rhamnella Reynosia Krugiodendron Karwinskia Condalia Ziziphoids Schistocarpeia Hovenia Ziziphus Paliurus Gouania Helinus Pleuranthodes Crumenaria Reissekia Lasiodiscus Colubrina Emmenosperma Phyliceae Noltea Trichocephalus Nesiota Phylica Granitites Alphitonia Colletieae Adolphia Trevoa Discaria Kentrothamnus Colletia Retanilla Ceanothus Pomaderreae Siegfriedia Cryptandra Stenanthemum Trymalium Pomaderris Spyridium

Fossil record

The fossil record of the family extends back to the Late Cretaceous, with records from Colombia^[11] and Mexico.^[12] Remains from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber of Myanmar have been suggested to belong to this family by some authors^[13][14], but this has been doubted by others.^[15] The earliest fossils of modern genera of the family date to the Eocene.^[16]

References

1. ^ "Family: Rhamnaceae Juss., nom. cons". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2003-01-17. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
2. ^ ^{a b c} Flowering Plants of the Santa Monica Mountains, Nancy Dale, 2nd Ed. 2000, p. 166
3. PMID 21652313
   .
4. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1
   .
5. PMID 28489895
   .
6. JSTOR 2442555
   .
7. JSTOR taxon.65.1.47
   .
8. Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
   .
9. ^ "GRIN Genera of Rhamnaceae". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
10. doi:10.1111/jse.12211
    .
11. PMID 21622368
    .
12. PMID 21636362
    .
13. S2CID 246443363
    .
14. S2CID 267267981
    .
15. S2CID 267267851
    .
16. PMID 28489895
    .

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rhamnaceae.

Wikispecies has information related to Rhamnaceae.

• Rhamnaceae of Mongolia in FloraGREIF Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine