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The honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae) is a rather small family consisting of about 450 dicotyledon flowering plants, mostly small trees and shrubs (seldom herbs), including some ornamental garden plants in temperate regions. Some honeysuckles (Lonicera) are stem twiners, climbing plants or even lianas.
A few authorities (e.g. J. L. Reveal) prefer the name Linnaeaceae for this group.
This family belongs to the order Dipsacales.
Range
Cosmopolitan, with many species in eastern North-America and East Asia; absent in tropical and southern Africa.
Description
The leaves are evergreen or deciduous. The leaves are mostly opposite with no stipules (= appendage at the base of a leafstalk or petiole).
Flowers, often fragrant, are tubular funnel-shaped or bell-like, usually with five outward spreading lobes or points. The flowers 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
- Sambucus (Elderberry) : 25 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)
(regarded by some as belonging to a separate family Linneaceae)
- 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 bushes, many popular garden shrubs, especially Lonicera. A few are considered weeds (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
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