Menispermaceae

Menispermaceae
from Koehler (1887)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Ranunculales
Family:	Menispermaceae Juss. (1789)
Genera
See text.

Menispermaceae, the botanical name for a family of flowering plants, has been universally recognized by taxonomists. Tubocurare, a neuromuscular blocker and active ingredient in curare, is derived from plants of this family.

The APG II system, of 2003 (unchanged from the APG system, of 1998), also recognizes this family and places it in the order Ranunculales, in the clade eudicots.

It is a medium sized family of 70 genera totaling 420 extant species^[1], mostly of climbing plants. The great majority of the genera are tropical, but with a few (notably Menispermum and Cocculus) reaching temperate climates in eastern North America and eastern Asia.

Selected genera

Abuta Albertisia Anamirta Anisocycla Anomospermum Antizoma Arcangelisia Aspidocarya Beirnaertia Borismene Burasaia Calycocarpum Carronia Caryomene Chasmanthera Chlaenandra Chondrodendron Cionomene Cissampelos Cocculus Coscinium Curarea Cyclea Dialytheca

Dioscoreophyllum Dahuricum D.C. Diploclisia Disciphania Echinostephia [2] Elephantomene Eleutharrhena Fibraurea Haematocarpus Hyperbaena Hypserpa Jateorhiza Kolobopetalum Legnephora Leptoterantha Limacia Limaciopsis Macrococculus Menispermum Odontocarya Orthogynium Orthomene Pachygone Parabaena Penianthus Pericampylus

Platytinospora Pleogyne Pycnarrhena Rhaptonema Rhigiocarya Sarcolophium Sarcopetalum which includes the Pearl Vine Sciadotenia Sinomenium Sphenocentrum Spirospermum Stephania Strychnopsis Synandropus Synclisia Syntriandrium Syrrheonema Telitoxicum Tiliacora Tinomiscium Tinospora Triclisia Ungulipetalum

References

1. ^ APG website
2. ^ Jacques, Frédéric M.B.; Gallut, Cyril; Vignes-Lebbe, Régine; Zaragüeta i Bagils, René (2007):Resolving phylogenetic reconstruction in Menispermaceae(Ranunculales) using fossils and a novel statistical test. Taxon 56(2):379-392.

External links

• Menispermaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants: descriptions, illustrations, identification, information retrieval. Version: 3rd May 2006. http://delta-intkey.com.
• Menispermaceae in the Flora of North America
• NCBI Taxonomy Browser
• links at CSDL

• Menispermaceae of Mongolia in FloraGREIF