Styracaceae

Taxobox
name = Styracaceae

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image_width = 250px
image_caption = "Halesia carolina"
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Ericales
familia = Styracaceae
familia_authority = Dumortier
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = See text

Styracaceae is a small family of flowering plants in the order Ericales, containing 11 genera and about 160 species of trees and shrubs. The family occurs in warm temperate and subtropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere.Fritsch, P. W., Morton, C. M., Chen, T., & Meldrum, C. (2001). Phylogeny and Biogeography of the Styracaceae. "Int. J. Plant Sci". 162 (6 Suppl.): S95–S116. Available [http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/IJPS/journal/issues/v162nS6/016605/016605.web.pdf online (pdf file)] ] [L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). "The families of flowering plants". [http://delta-intkey.com/angio/www/styracac.htm Styracaceae] ]

The family is characterised by spirally arranged simple leaves with no stipules; symmetrical white flowers with a corolla of 2-5 (-7) fused petals; and the fruit usually a dry capsule, sometimes winged, less often a fleshy drupe, with 1-2 seeds.

Most are large shrubs to small trees 3-15 m tall, but "Halesia monticola" ("H. carolina" var. "monticola") is larger, with trees 39 m tall known in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, United States.

Several genera include species popular as ornamental trees valued for their decorative white flowers. Benzoin resin, used in herbal medicine and perfumes, is extracted from the bark of "Styrax" species.

;Genera
*"Alniphyllum" Matsum. (3 species).
*"Bruinsmia" Boer. & Koord. (2 species).
*"Changiostyrax" C.T.Chen (1 species).
*"Halesia" J.Ellis ex L. (3–5 species).
*"Huodendron" Rehder (4 species).
*"Melliodendron" Hand.-Mazz. (1 species).
*"Parastyrax" W.W.Sm. (2 species).
*"Pterostyrax" Siebold & Zucc. (4 species).
*"Rehderodendron" Hu (5 species).
*"Sinojackia" Hu (5 species).
*"Styrax" L. (c.130 species; syn. "Pamphilia").

The genus "Pamphilia", sometimes regarded as distinct, is now included within "Styrax" on genetic data. [Wallnöfer, B. (1997). A revision of Styrax L. section Pamphilia (Mart. ex A. DC.) B. Walln. (Styracaceae). "Ann. Nathist. Mus. Wien" 99B: 681–720.]

References