Caprifoliaceae

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

Caprifoliaceae >

Read about Caprifoliaceae in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Caprifoliaceae (from the old genus Caprifolium, meaning a goat-leaf, possibly in reference to the climbing habit). Honeysuckle Family. Fig. 55. Shrubs, very rarely herbs: leaves opposite, simple or pinnate: flowers bisexual, regular or irregular; calyx 4-5-toothed, or 4-5-fid; corolla gamopetalous, 4-5-lobed, tubular or rotate; stamens of the same number as the corolla-lobes and alternate with them, epipetalous; ovary inferior, 1-5-celled; each cell 1 to many-ovuled; style 1 or obsolete; stigmas 1-5: fruit a berry or capsule. The 11 genera and about 350 species are distributed principally in the north temperate zone. The tropical species are mostly confined to the mountains. A few species of Sambucus and Viburnum occur in the southern hemisphere. The family is very closely related to the Rubiaceae but the leaves are exstipulate; also to the Cornaceae and Valerianaceae. Some fossil species have been found. Many species of Honeysuckle exhale a sweet odor after sunset. The berries of Lonicera Caprifolium are said to be diuretic; those of L. Xylosteum are laxative. The berries of the European elder (Sambucus nigra), and of the American elder (S. canadensis) are cooked and eaten and are also made into wine. The dried flowers of elder were formerly used in cases of fever. The roots of the North American Triosteum perfoliatum furnish a kind of ipecac. Other species are locally used in medicine. Many are ornamental. Eight or 10 genera are in cultivation in N. America: Viburnum (Sheepberry, Hobble-bush. Wayfaring Tree, Arrowwood, High Cranberry, Snowball Bush); Sambucus (Elder); Triosteum (Feverwort, Horse Gentian. Wild Ipecac); Symphoricarpos (Snowberry, Coral Berry); Abelia; Diervilla (Weigela, Bush Honeysuckle); Linnaea (Twin-flower); Lonicera (Bush and Climbing Honeysuckles, Woodbine, Trumpet Honeysuckle).CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

Genera

Source: Wikipedia^wp

Much of the debate over the taxonomy of this group has been settled. Two of the most familiar members of the family, the elder and the viburnum, have been moved into Adoxaceae, along with some other genera.

The evolutionary taxonomy of this group includes

Diervilleae

• Diervilla (Bush Honeysuckle): 3 species
• Weigela: 10 species.

Heptacodium

• Heptacodium (Seven-son Flower): 1 species

Caprifolieae

• Leycesteria: 6 species
• Lonicera (Honeysuckle): 180 species
• Symphoricarpos (Snowberry): 17 species
• Triosteum (Horsegentian): 6 species

Linnaeaceae

• Abelia : 30 species
• Dipelta: 4 species
• Kolkwitzia (Beautybush): 1 species
• Linnaea : (Twinflower) : 1 species

Morinaceae

• Cryptothladia
• Morina

Dipsacaceae

• Acanthocalyx
• Pterocephalus
• Dipsacus
• Scabiosa

Triplostegia

• Triplostegia

Valerianaceae

• Patrina
• Nardostachys
• Centranthus
• Plectritis
• Valeriana
• Valerianella
• Fedia

No longer included in Caprifoliaceae:

(regarded by some as belonging to a separate family Adoxaceae /Alseuosmiaceae)

• Alseuosmia : 8 species
• Memecylanthus : 1 species
• Periomphale : 2 species

(regarded by some as belonging to a separate family Adoxaceae /Carlemanniaceae)

• Carlemannia : 3 species
• Silvianthus : 2 species.

Gallery

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

• w:Caprifoliaceae. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
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