Asclepiadoideae

Asclepiadoideae
Matelea denticulata[1]
Scientific classificationEdit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily: AsclepiadoideaeBurnett
Genera

See text

The Asclepiadoideae are a subfamily of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae. Formerly, these plants together with those now in the Apocynaceae subfamilies Periplocoideae and Secamonoideae were treated as a separate family under the name Asclepiadaceae,[2] e.g. by APG II, and known as the milkweed family.[3]

They form a group of perennial herbs, twining shrubs, lianas or rarely trees but notably also contain a significant number of leafless stem succulents. The name comes from the type genusAsclepias (milkweeds).

There are 348 genera, with about 2,900 species. They are mainly located in the tropics to subtropics,[4] especially in Africa and South America.

The florally-advanced tribe Stapelieae within this family contains several relatively familiar stem succulent genera, such as Orbea, Huernia, Stapelia and Hoodia. They are remarkable for the complex mechanisms which they have developed for pollination, independently parallel to the unrelated Orchidaceae, such as the grouping of their pollen into pollinia. The "fragrance" (or odor) of the flowers, often called "carrion flowers", attracts flies, the chief pollinators for these plants. Additionally, the color, appearance and texture of the flowers often is thought to resemble decaying flesh or raw meat to further entice pollination by flies.

Many new hybrids have been formed due to the unique fertilization method of the flowers.

Taxonomy

Gilbert Thomas Burnett in 1835 is considered to be the first botanist to recognize a primary division of the family Apocynaceae using the name Asclepiadeae,[5] an ending now used for tribes rather than subfamilies. In 2014, Endress, Liede-Schumann and Meve recognised five tribes within the subfamily.[2] A molecular phylogenetic study in 2019 confirmed the distinctness of the five tribes, which were related as shown in the following cladogram:[6]

Asclepiadoideae

Fockeeae

Asclepiadeae

Eustegieae

Ceropegieae

Marsdenieae

Tribes and genera

Asclepias syriaca
Microloma calycinum, Richtersveld, South Africa

The assignment of genera to tribes is based on Endress, Liede-Schumann and Meve (2014),[2] with synonyms from Plants of the World Online as of December 2023. A full revision of the section Marsdenieae was published by Liede-Schumann et al in 2022 and those additional genera have that citation.[7]

Asclepiadeae

Ceropegieae

Ceropegia candelabrum
Caralluma acutangula, Burkina Faso
Leptadenia pyrotechnica, Burkina Faso
Stapelia gigantea

Eustegieae

Fockeeae

Marsdenieae

Stephanotis floribunda

Other genera

These genera are not accepted within Asclepiadoideae by Endress et al. (2014),[2] but are accepted by Plants of the World Online. Tribal placements below are from GRIN-Global, where given.

  • DalzieliaTurrill - no molecular evidence but kept separate from Marsdenia in Marsdenieae.[7]
  • DecanemaDecne. – Asclepiadeae (possible synonym of Cynanchum)[8]
  • GymnemopsisCostantin - no molecular evidence but kept separate from Pseudosarcolobus and Harmandiella in Marsdenieae.[7]
  • KerberaE.Fourn. – Asclepiadeae[9]
  • PeriglossumDecne. – Asclepiadeae[10]
  • PolystemmaDecne., including Microdactylon[11] – Asclepiadeae (possible synonym of Matelea)[12]
  • PtycantheraDecne. – Asclepiadeae (possible synonym of Matelea)[13]
  • SchistonemaSchltr. – Asclepiadeae (possible synonym of Tweedia)[14]
  • VailiaRusby – Asclepiadeae (possible synonym of Blepharodon)[15]

References

  1. ^1897 illustration from Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen
  2. ^ abcdEndress, Mary E.; Liede-Schumann, Sigrid; Meve, Ulrich (February 2014). "An updated classification for Apocynaceae". Phytotaxa. 159 (3): 175–194. Bibcode:2014Phytx.159..175E. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.159.3.2. ISSN 1179-3163.
  3. ^English Names for Korean Native Plants(PDF). Pocheon: Korea National Arboretum. 2015. p. 363. ISBN 978-89-97450-98-5. Archived from the original(PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2017 – via Korea Forest Service.
  4. ^Spellenberg, Richard (2001) [1979]. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers: Western Region (rev ed.). Knopf. p. 347. ISBN 978-0-375-40233-3.
  5. ^Reveal, James L. (2011). "Asclepiadoideae". Indices Nominum Supragenericorum Plantarum Vascularium. Plant Biology section, Cornell University. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  6. ^Nazar, N.; Clarkson, J.J.; Goyder, D.; Kaky, E.; Mahmood, T. & Chase, M.W. (2019), "Phylogenetic relationships in Apocynaceae based on nuclear PHYA and plastid trnL-F sequences, with a focus on tribal relationships", Caryologia International Journal of Cytology, Cytosystematics and Cytogenetics, 72 (1): 55–81, doi:10.13128/cayologia-251
  7. ^ abcdefghijkLiede-Schumann, Sigrid; Reuss, Sebastian J.; Meve, Ulrich; Gâteblé, Gildas; Livshultz, Tatyana; Forster, Paul I.; Wanntorp, Livia; Rodda, Michele (2022). "Phylogeny of Marsdenieae (Apocynaceae, Asclepiadoideae) based on chloroplast and nuclear loci, with a conspectus of the genera". Taxon. 71 (4): 833–875. doi:10.1002/tax.12713. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  8. ^"Gen. Decanema Decne". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  9. ^"Gen. Kerbera E.Fourn". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  10. ^"Gen. Periglossum Decne". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  11. ^"Polystemma cordatum (Brandegee) L.O.Alvarado". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  12. ^"Gen. Polystemma Decne". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  13. ^"Gen. Ptycanthera Decne". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  14. ^"Gen. Schistonema Schltr". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  15. ^"Gen. Vailia Rusby". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
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