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The Caprifoliaceae or honeysuckle family is a rather small family consisting of about 450 dicotyledonous flowering plants, with a nearly cosmopolitan distribution; centres of diversity are found in eastern North America and eastern Asia, while they are absent in tropical and southern Africa.
A few authorities (e.g. J. L. Reveal ) prefer the name Linnaeaceae for this group.
They are mostly shrubs and vines, rarely herbs, including some ornamental garden plants in temperate regions. The leaves are mostly opposite with no stipules (= appendage at the base of a leafstalk or petiole), and may be either evergreen or deciduous. The flowers are tubular funnel-shaped or bell-like, usually with five outward spreading lobes or points, and are often fragrant. They usually form a small calyx with small bracts. The fruit is in most cases a berry or a drupe. The genera Diervilla and Weigela have capsular fruit.
Taxonomy
(with approximate numbers of species).
There is still much debate about the exact taxonomy of this family.
- Diervilla (Bush Honeysuckle): 3 species
- Heptacodium (Seven-son Flower): 1 species
- Leycesteria : 6 species
- Lonicera (Honeysuckle): 180 species
- Symphoricarpos (Snowberry): 17 species
- Triosteum (Horsegentian): 6 species
- Weigela : 10 species.
(regarded, by ‘Backlund and Bremer’, as rather belonging to the order Apiales or Cornales; but remaining in the Caprifoliaceae)
- Sambucus (Elderberry): 25 species (now regarded as belonging to the family Adoxaceae)
- Viburnum: 150 to 225 species (now regarded as belonging to the family Adoxaceae)
- Abelia : 30 species
- Dipelta : 4 species
- Kolkwitzia (Beautybush): 1 species
- Linnaea : (Twinflower) : 1 species
(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.
Use
The plants belonging to this family are mainly hardy ornamental shrubs or vines, many popular garden shrubs, especially Lonicera. A few have become invasive weeds outside of their native ranges (such as Lonicera japonica). Elderberries (Sambucus) are used in traditional folk medicine to make elderberry wine.
Reference
- Flowering Plants of the World, 1987, Vernon H. Heywood, Andromeda Oxford Ltd., ISBN 90 5210 165 5
- Botanica, Gordon Cheers, Random House Australia, ISBN 3 8290 1953 X
External links