Asclepiadoideae

According to APG II, the Asclepiadaceae, commonly known as milkweed family,[2] is a former plant family now treated as a subfamily in the family Apocynaceae (Bruyns 2000).

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

See text

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 genus Asclepias (milkweeds).

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

The florally advanced tribe Stapelieae within this family contains the relatively familiar stem succulent genera such as Huernia, Stapelia and Hoodia. They are remarkable for the complex mechanisms they have developed for pollination, which independently parallel the unrelated Orchidaceae, especially in the grouping of their pollen into pollinia. The fragrance from the flowers, often called "carrion", attracts flies. The flies pollinate the flowers.

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

Tribes and genera
Asclepias syriaca
Microloma calycinum, Richtersveld, South Africa

The following five tribes are recognised:

Asclepiadeae

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

Eustegieae

Fockeeae

Marsdenieae
Marsdenia floribunda

Genera now placed elsewhere

These genera are not accepted within Asclepiadoideae by Endress et al.[3]

References
  1. 1897 illustration from Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen
  2. 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.
  3. Endress, M. E. and P. V. Bruyns (2000), "A revised classification of the Apocynaceae s.l." (PDF), Botanical Review, 66 (1): 1–56, doi:10.1007/BF02857781
  4. "Diplostigma K.Schum". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
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