Flowering plants in the order Cucurbitales recorded from South Africa
The
Cucurbitales are an
order of
flowering plants, included in the
rosid group of
dicotyledons with a cosmopolitan distribution, particularly diverse in the tropics. The order includes shrubs and trees, together with many herbs and climbers. One major characteristic of the Cucurbitales is the presence of unisexual flowers, mostly
pentacyclic, with thick pointed petals (whenever present).[1] The pollination is usually performed by insects, but
wind pollination is also present (in
Coriariaceae and
Datiscaceae).
The order consists of roughly 2600 species in eight families. The largest families are
Begoniaceae (begonia family) with around 1500 species and
Cucurbitaceae (gourd family) with around 900 species. These two families include the only economically important plants. Specifically, the Cucurbitaceae (gourd family) include some food species, such as
squash,
pumpkin (both from Cucurbita),
watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris), and
cucumber and
melons (Cucumis). The Begoniaceae are known for their horticultural species, of which there are over 130 with many more
varieties.
The
anthophytes are a grouping of plant taxa bearing flower-like reproductive structures. They were formerly thought to be a
clade comprising plants bearing flower-like structures. The group contained the
angiosperms - the extant flowering plants, such as
roses and
grasses - as well as the
Gnetales and the extinct
Bennettitales.[2]
23,420 species of vascular plant have been recorded in South Africa, making it the sixth most species-rich country in the world and the most species-rich country on the African continent. Of these, 153 species are considered to be threatened.[3] Nine
biomes have been described in South Africa:
Fynbos, Succulent
Karoo,
desert,
Nama Karoo,
grassland,
savanna,
Albany thickets, the
Indian Ocean coastal belt, and
forests.[4]
Two
families are represented in the literature. Listed
taxa include
species,
subspecies,
varieties, and
forms as recorded, some of which have subsequently been allocated to other taxa as
synonyms, in which cases the accepted taxon is appended to the listing. Multiple entries under alternative names reflect
taxonomic revision over time.
^Matthews ML, Endress PK (2004). "Comparative floral structure and systematics in Cucurbitales (Corynocarpaceae, Coriariaceae, Tetramelaceae, Datiscaceae, Begoniaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Anisophylleaceae)". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 145 (2): 129–185.
doi:
10.1111/j.1095-8339.2003.00281.x.
^Doyle, J. A.; Donoghue, M. J. (1986). "Seed plant phylogeny and the origin of the angiosperms - an experimental cladistic approach". Botanical Review. 52 (4): 321–431.
doi:
10.1007/bf02861082.
S2CID44844947.