Biology:List of lamiid families

Short description: none

Lamium album. Lamium originates from the Greek for "wide-open mouth" (on the flowers).

The lamiids are a group of about 40 interrelated families of flowering plants. They include about 40,000 species, representing one-seventh of the total diversity of flowering plants, and about half of all asterid species. Like most asterids, they tend to have petals that are fused with each other and with the bases of the stamens, and just one integument (covering) around the embryo sac. In lamiids, the fusion of the petals tends to occur late in their development, and the bases of the petals are usually beneath the ovaries.

Of the eight lamiid orders, five have more than one family: Garryales, Gentianales, Icacinales, Lamiales and Solanales. Garryales and Icacinales include trees and shrubs with leaves that usually have stalks but no stipules; in Icacinales, the leaves are arranged spirally. Gentianales species have pitted wood and opposite leaves that are joined across the stem. In Lamiales, plants are mostly herbaceous with opposite leaves, and the five-lobed flowers have approximate mirror-image symmetry. Solanales species usually have sepals that continue to grow with age, even when the plant is fruiting.

Legend

Family	Type genus and etymology	Total genera; global distribution	Description and uses	Order	Type genus images
Family and vernacular (common) name	Type genus. Etymology: an associated meaning, derivation or person (a naturalist, unless otherwise noted)	Total genera; global distribution of the species in this family (aside from the polar regions and the dunes of the great deserts)	Description and uses	Order	Type genus images

Lamiid families

Family	Type genus and etymology	Total genera; global distribution	Description and uses	Order	Type genus images
Acanthaceae (bear's-breeches family)	Acanthus, from Greek for "thorns"	206 genera, mostly tropical, with some species in warm-temperate zones	Annual and perennial shrubs, vines and herbaceous plants, with a few trees and mangroves. Many of the ornamental species have long-lasting flowers. Acanthus leaves are commonly depicted on architectural columns and ornate furniture.	Lamiales	Acanthus mollis
Apocynaceae (periwinkle family)	Apocynum, from the Greek name for dogbane or a similar plant	372 genera, distributed throughout the tropics, with a few genera extending into northern and southern temperate zones	A large family with trees, shrubs, mangroves, epiphytes, succulents, and woody and herbaceous vines. Some species have edible fruits or roots, but poisonous seeds. Some have been harvested commercially for timber or to make rubber. Many are ornamentals, including oleander and Vinca (periwinkle).	Gentian­ales	Apocynum androsaemifolium
Bignoniaceae (trumpetvine family)	Bignonia, for Jean-Paul Bignon (1662–1743), a French statesman and royal librarian	79 genera, distributed widely in the tropics and subtropics, with a few species in temperate zones	Trees, shrubs, vines and perennial herbaceous plants, mostly evergreen. Various species are used in Thai and Laotian cuisine, and to make a drink in Nicaragua. Many species are ornamentals.	Lamiales	Bignonia capreolata
Boraginaceae (forget-me-not family)	Borago, possibly from Latin for "hairy covering"	156 genera, worldwide, with the greatest diversity in Eurasia	Shrubs, trees, vines and herbaceous plants. Borage is cultivated for its oil. Mertensia maritima is an Inuit staple food. Many species are ornamentals. Alkanna tinctoria has been used as a dye since ancient times.	Boragin­ales	Borago officinalis
Byblidaceae (rainbowplant family)	Byblis, for Byblis, a Greek mythological character	1 genus, in Australia and Papua New Guinea	Shrubby rhizomatous herbaceous plants. These plants have sticky glands on their stalks that trap and kill insects.	Lamiales	Byblis liniflora
Carlemannia­ceae (fragrant-princess family)	Carlemannia, for Charles Morgan Lemann (1806–1852)	2 genera, in tropical Southeast Asia	Shrubs and herbaceous perennials with asymmetrical leaves	Lamiales	Silvianthus bracteatus (not the type genus)
Convolvula­ceae (bindweed family)	Convolvulus, from Latin for "twining"	59 genera, worldwide, with more diversity in warm temperate zones and the tropics	Woody and herbaceous vines, shrubs and a few trees. Sweet potatoes are a tropical staple food. Shoots of Ipomoea aquatica are commonly used in Asian cooking. "Morning glory" is a vernacular name for many ornamentals in this family.	Solanales	Convolvulus tricolor
Eucommia­ceae (Chinese-rubbertree family)	Eucommia, from Greek for "good gum"	1 genus, in China	Deciduous trees with spirally arranged leaves. The latex is converted to rubber for insulation and dental fillings.	Garryales	Eucommia ulmoides
Garryaceae (tasselbush family)	Garrya, for Nicholas Garry (c. 1782 – 1856), a merchant and trader	2 genera. Garrya is native to the Americas, and Aucuba is native to East Asia; both are widely cultivated as ornamentals.	Evergreen shrubs and trees with leathery leaves. Aucuba tolerates coal pollution and became a popular garden plant during the Industrial Revolution.	Garryales	Garrya elliptica
Gelsemiaceae (yellow-jessamine family)	Gelsemium, from an Italian plant name	3 genera, in the tropics and subtropics, with a few species extending into North America	Trees, shrubs and woody vines with clear sap. The poisonous yellow jessamine is sometimes grown as an ornamental, especially in the southern United States, and is the state flower of South Carolina.	Gentian­ales	Gelsemium sempervirens
Gentianaceae (gentian family)	Gentiana, for Gentius (d. 168 BC), an Illyrian king	103 genera, worldwide	A large family that includes trees, shrubs, vines and other annuals and perennials, some relying on fungi and organic material rather than photosynthesis. Some scented flowers of Fagraea have been used commercially in perfumes, and trees of this genus are harvested for timber in tropical Asia. Gentian root (from Gentiana lutea) is an ingredient in some liqueurs.	Gentian­ales	Gentiana verna
Gesneriaceae (gloxinia family)	Gesneria, for Conrad Gessner (1516–1565)	149 genera, in the tropics worldwide, extending into subtropical and warmer temperate zones	Shrubs, treelets, climbers and herbaceous plants, growing in soil, on rocks or on other plants. Ornamentals include Calceolaria, florist's gloxinia, African violets and Cape primroses.	Lamiales	Gesneria pauciflora
Hydroleaceae (fiddleleaf family)	Hydrolea, from Greek for "water olive"	1 genus, scattered worldwide, generally in aquatic or at least moist habitats	Spiny annual and perennial shrubs and herbaceous plants, usually in moist environments. Hydrolea zeylanica shoots are used in Indonesian cooking. Hydrolea spinosa is an invasive species.	Solanales	Hydrolea ovata
Icacinaceae (false-yam family)	Icacina, from an Arawak name	24 genera, throughout the tropics, with one genus (Apodytes) extending into the subtropics	Vines, shrubs and trees. Icacina flour is used in parts of Africa, and Miquelia is used for timber.	Icacinales	Icacina oliviformis
Lamiaceae (mint family)	Lamium, from a Latin plant name, originally from Greek for "wide-open mouth" (on the flowers)	232 genera, worldwide	Generally aromatic shrubs and herbaceous plants, with some trees and vines. Many species and genera produce kitchen herbs, including basil, oregano, sage, rosemary, thyme, peppermint and other mints. Mint oil is widely used in the cosmetics and food industries.	Lamiales	Lamium purpureum
Lentibularia­ceae (bladderwort family)	Utricularia. Lentibularia, an earlier synonym for the genus, is probably from Greek for "lentil-shaped bladders".	3 genera, almost worldwide, with the greatest diversity in the tropics	Perennial and annual herbaceous plants, growing in soil, in water and on other plants. All three genera in this family can trap and digest small insects. Pinguicula is used to curdle milk in northern Europe, and occasionally to kill pests in greenhouses.	Lamiales	Utricularia vulgaris
Linderniaceae (wishbone-flower family)	Lindernia, for Franz Balthasar von Lindern (1682–1755), a French physician and botanist	19 genera, in the tropics, except for a few temperate species	Annual and perennial herbaceous plants, with some shrubs. Stems often have four flat sides. Ornamental genera include Torenia and Craterostigma.	Lamiales	Lindernia dubia
Loganiaceae (Indian-pink family)	Logania, for James Logan (1674–1751)	16 genera, in the tropics, mostly	Trees, shrubs, woody vines and herbaceous plants with clear sap. Many species in this family contain the pest-control poison strychnine.	Gentian­ales	Logania albiflora
Martyniaceae (unicornplant family)	Martynia, for John Martyn (1699–1768)	5 genera, in the tropical and subtropical Americas	Annuals and perennials, herbaceous with a few shrubs, usually odoriferous. Three of the five genera are covered in sticky hairs that trap and kill insects.	Lamiales	Martynia annua
Mazaceae (cupflower family)	Mazus, from Greek for "teat". The lower lip of the flowers is swollen.	4 genera, in Tibet, temperate East Asia, and Australasia	Annual and perennial rhizomatous herbaceous plants with stems with four flat sides. Mazus is planted as an ornamental groundcover.	Lamiales	Mazus pumilus
Metteniusa­ceae (urupagua family)	Metteniusa, for Georg Heinrich Mettenius (1823–1866)	10 genera, throughout the tropics	Evergreen shrubs and trees with spirally arranged leaves. Some of the fruits and nuts are consumed in South America.	Metteni­usales	Metteniusa tessmanniana
Montiniaceae (wild-clovebush family)	Montinia, for Lars Jonasson Montin (1723–1785), a Swedish botanist and physician	3 genera, in southern Africa, East Africa and Madagascar	Shrubs and small trees. Crushed leaves of Grevea and Montinia have an acrid taste of pepper and cloves.	Solanales	Montinia caryophyllacea
Oleaceae (olive family)	Olea, from a Latin plant name	29 genera, in temperate zones worldwide	Shrubs, trees and woody vines, usually with opposite leaves. Olives have been cultivated around the Mediterranean for food and oil for at least 5000 years. Ash trees are harvested for their strong, flexible timber. Jasmine is used in perfumes and teas. Forsythia and lilacs are sold as cut flowers.	Lamiales	Olea europaea
Oncotheca­ceae (kanak-laurel family)	Oncotheca, from Greek for "bulging box" or "bulky anthers"	1 genus, in New Caledonia	Evergreen trees and shrubs with leathery leaves	Icacinales	Dried Oncotheca humboldtiana
Orobancha­ceae (broomrape family)	Orobanche, from Greek and Latin plant names	98 genera, distributed nearly worldwide	Usually parasitic herbaceous plants, occasionally woody or shrubby, and sometimes lacking chlorophyll. Cistanche phelypaea is consumed by the Tuareg in North Africa. Many species are agricultural pests that target beans, sugarcane, sunflowers or other crops.	Lamiales	Orobanche picridis
Paulownia­ceae (empress-tree family)	Paulownia, for Anna Pavlovna of Russia (1795–1865)	3 genera, scattered in Asia	Evergreen and deciduous trees and viny shrubs. The empress tree is often seen in gardens and parks in North America and Europe.	Lamiales	Paulownia tomentosa
Pedaliaceae (sesame family)	Pedalium, from Greek for "rudder"	11 genera, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. Sesame is widely cultivated.	Annual and perennial herbaceous plants, with some deciduous shrubs and trees. Many species have either tubers that store water or succulent trunks. Sesame was being cultivated at least 5500 years ago in Asia, and is today one of the ten most important vegetable oil crops. The seeds are widely used in baking.	Lamiales	Pedalium murex
Phrymaceae (lopseed family)	Phryma, possibly from Greek for "toad"	15 genera, in Africa, the Americas, Asia and Australasia	Rhizomatous herbaceous plants, sometimes aquatic and sometimes slightly woody or shrubby. Mimulus and Leucocarpus have ornamental species.	Lamiales	Phryma leptostachya
Plantagina­ceae (speedwell family)	Plantago, from a Latin plant name	107 genera, worldwide	Vines, shrubs, small trees and other herbaceous plants, growing in soil, in water and on other plants. Ornamentals include foxglove and snapdragon. Foxglove is also a source of digitalin, a heart stimulant. Psyllium is used medically to lower cholesterol and treat constipation.	Lamiales	Plantago lanceolata
Plocosper­mataceae (staghorn-shrub family)	Plocosperma, from Greek for "tufted seeds"	1 genus, in dry forests and scrubland in Mexico and Central America	One species of shrubs and small trees	Lamiales	Plocosperma buxifolium
Rubiaceae (coffee family)	Rubia, from Latin for "red". The roots have provided a red dye going back millennia.	609 genera, worldwide	A large family of annuals and perennials, including vines, shrubs, trees and epiphytes. Coffee (Coffea) is the second most traded world commodity, after fossil fuels. Cinchona (the source of quinine) is still used as an antimalarial. Other plants produce edible fruits, natural dyes and timber.	Gentian­ales	Rubia tinctorum
Schlegelia­ceae (higuerito family)	Schlegelia, for Hermann Schlegel (1804–1884)	4 genera, in the tropics of the Americas	Evergreens, including vines, shrubs and trees with pale bark	Lamiales	Schlegelia parasitica
Scrophularia­ceae (figwort family)	Scrophularia, from Latin for "scrofula", which it supposedly cured	60 genera, almost worldwide	Herbaceous plants, deciduous and evergreen shrubs, and occasionally trees and vines. Ornamental genera include Eremophila, Scrophularia and Verbascum.	Lamiales	Scrophularia nodosa
Solanaceae (nightshade family)	Solanum, from a Latin plant name	98 genera, worldwide, especially in the Americas	Annual and perennial shrubs, trees, climbers and herbaceous plants, including a few epiphytes. Potatoes were first bred and cultivated around 8000 years ago and chili peppers around 6000 years ago in the Americas. Both were introduced around the world in the 1500s. Tomatoes, regarded by the Aztecs as weeds, became a staple food when introduced in Europe.	Solanales	Solanum umbelliferum
Sphenoclea­ceae (gooseweed family)	Sphenoclea, from Greek for "closed wedge" (on the fruit capsules)	1 genus, scattered in the tropics and subtropics	Herbaceous succulent annuals. Gooseweed is a frequent weed in rice paddies, but the roots produce a compound that is effective against a common rice nematode.	Solanales	Sphenoclea zeylanica
Stilbaceae (candlesticks family)	Stilbe, from Greek for "shining"	11 genera, in the Western Cape of South Africa, except for the tropical genus Nuxia	Evergreen shrubs, trees and perennial herbaceous plants. Nuxia verticillata bark is sometimes added to alcoholic drinks.	Lamiales	Stilbe ericoides
Tetrachond­raceae (rustweed family)	Tetrachondra, from Greek for "four-cartilaged"	2 genera, in the Americas and New Zealand	Herbaceous aquatic and marshy perennials with prostrate succulent stems	Lamiales	Tetrachondra hamiltonii
Thomander­siaceae (West-African-bitterbush family)	Thomandersia, for Thomas Anderson (1832–1870)	1 genus, in Central and western Africa	Shrubs, small trees and a few vines, all evergreen. The leaves have antiparasitic properties.	Lamiales	Thomandersia hensii
Vahliaceae (flindersbush family)	Vahlia, for Martin Vahl (1749–1804)	1 genus, in the Asian and African tropics	Herbaceous annuals and biennials, sometimes glandular, with stalkless leaves	Vahliales	Vahlia capensis
Verbenaceae (vervain family)	Verbena, a term from Latin for any plants used in some religious ceremonial processions	31 genera, mainly in the Americas	Evergreen and deciduous shrubs, trees, vines and herbaceous plants, often aromatic. Some lemony Aloysia species are used in perfumes, alcoholic drinks and potpourris. Some Lippia species are used as kitchen herbs.	Lamiales	Verbena bonariensis

See also

• Glossary of botanical terms
• List of plant family names with etymologies
• List of basal asterid families

Citations

Some of POWO's data originally appeared in different databases. After reaching the page for each family, these databases (if any) will appear under the "General information" tab.

References

• Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (2016). "An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG IV". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 181 (1): 1–20. doi:10.1111/boj.12385. 
• Bremer, Kåre; Friis, Elsemarie; Bremer, Birgitta (June 1, 2004). "Molecular Phylogenetic Dating of Asterid Flowering Plants Shows Early Cretaceous Diversification". Systematic Biology 53 (3): 496–505. doi:10.1080/10635150490445913. PMID 15503676. https://academic.oup.com/sysbio/article/53/3/496/2842933#:~:text=Asterids%20comprise%20more%20than%2080%2C000,3%20of%20all%20flowering%20plants.. Retrieved January 3, 2023. 
• Burkhardt, Lotte (2018) (in German) (pdf). Verzeichnis eponymischer Pflanzennamen – Erweiterte Edition. Berlin: Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum, Freie Universität Berlin. doi:10.3372/epolist2018. ISBN 978-3-946292-26-5. https://doi.org/10.3372/epolist2018. Retrieved January 1, 2021.  See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ for license.
• Christenhusz, Maarten; Fay, Michael Francis; Chase, Mark Wayne (2017). Plants of the World: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Vascular Plants. Chicago, Illinois: Kew Publishing and The University of Chicago Press. pp. 18–637. ISBN 978-0-226-52292-0. 
• Coombes, Allen (2012). The A to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. ISBN 978-1-60469-196-2. 
• IPNI (2022). "International Plant Names Index". London, Boston and Canberra: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Harvard University Herbaria & Libraries; and the Australian National Botanic Gardens. https://www.ipni.org. 
• Kadereit, Joachim W., ed (2004). Lamiales (except Acanthaceae including Avicenniaceae). The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants. VII. ISBN 978-3-540-40593-1. https://books.google.com/books?id=kcSZriBQGp4C. 
• Kadereit; Bittrich, Volker, eds (2016). Flowering Plants. Eudicots: Aquifoliales, Boraginales, Bruniales, Dipsacales, Escalloniales, Garryales, Paracryphiales, Solanales (except Convolvulaceae), Icacinaceae, Metteniusaceae, Vahliaceae. The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants. XIV. ISBN 978-3-319-28534-4. https://books.google.com/books?id=0tr7CwAAQBAJ. 
• Kadereit, Joachim W.; Bittrich, Volker (2019). Flowering Plants. Eudicots - Apiales, Gentianales (except Rubiaceae). The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants. XV. ISBN 978-3-319-93604-8. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93605-5_8. 
• POWO (2019). "Plants of the World Online". London: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/.  See their terms-of-use license.
• Quattrocchi, Umberto (2019). CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names, Volume III, M–Q. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-367-44751-9. 
• Stearn, William (2002). Stearn's Dictionary of Plant Names for Gardeners. London: Cassell. ISBN 978-0-304-36469-5. 
• Stevens, P.F. (2022). "Angiosperm Phylogeny Website". Missouri Botanical Garden. http://www.mobot.org/mobot/research/APWeb/. 
• Stull, Gregory W.; Duno de Stefano, Rodrigo; Soltis, Douglas E.; Soltis, Pamela S. (November 2015). "Resolving basal lamiid phylogeny and the circumscription of Icacinaceae with a plastome-scale data set". American Journal of Botany 102 (11): 1794–1813. doi:10.3732/ajb.1500298. PMID 26507112. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283306676. 
• Turland, N. J., ed. International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (Shenzhen Code) adopted by the Nineteenth International Botanical Congress Shenzhen, China, July 2017 (electronic ed.). Glashütten: International Association for Plant Taxonomy. https://www.iapt-taxon.org/nomen/pages/main/art_18.html. Retrieved February 25, 2022. 
• "USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System". Beltsville, Maryland: National Germplasm Resources Laboratory. 2022. https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomysearch?t=family.