The Caprifoliaceae or honeysuckle family is a clade of dicotyledonous flowering plants consisting of about 860 species in 33 to 42 genera, 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.
Description The flowering plants in this clade are mostly shrubs and vines: rarely herbs. They include some ornamental garden plants grown in temperate regions. The leaves are mostly opposite with no stipules (appendages 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, while Heptacodium has an achene.
Taxonomy Views of the family-level classification of the traditionally accepted Caprifoliaceae and other plants in the botanical order Dipsacales have been considerably revised in recent decades. Most botanists now accept the placement of two of the most familiar members of this group, the elderberries (Sambucus) and the viburnums (Viburnum), in the family Adoxaceae instead; these were formerly classified here. 33 genera are currently accepted.
Several other families of the more broadly treated Caprifoliaceae s.l. are separated by some but not all authors; these are treated as subfamilies in the listing of genera below, along with estimated numbers of species.
Subfamily Diervilloideae Diervilla – bush honeysuckle, 3 species Weigela – 10 species Subfamily Caprifolioideae s.s. Heptacodium – seven-son flower, 1 species Leycesteria – 7 species Lonicera – honeysuckle, 158 species Symphoricarpos – snowberry, 15 species Triosteum – horse gentian, 6 species Subfamily DipsacoideaeMayer, V. and Ehrendorfer, F. (2013), The phylogenetic position of Pterocephalidium and the new African genus Pterothamnus within an improved classification of Dipsacaceae. Taxon, 62: 112-126. https://doi.org/10.1002/tax.621010 × Succisoknautia – 1 species Triplostegia – 1 species Tribe Bassecoieae Bassecoia – 3 species Tribe Dipsaceae Cephalaria – 102 species Dipsacus – teasel, 21 species Tribe Knautieae Knautia – 55 species Tribe Pseudoscabioseae Pseudoscabiosa – 3 species Tribe Pterocephalidieae Pterocephalidium – 1 species Pterothamnus – 1 species Tribe Succiseae Succisa - 3 species Succisella – 5 species Subfamily Scabiosoideae Tribe Scabioseae Pterocephalus – 34 species Scabiosa – scabious or pincushion flower, 68 species Tribe Lomelosieae Lomelosia – 63 species Pycnocomon – 2 species Subfamily Linnaeoideae Abelia – 6 species Diabelia – 4 species Dipelta – 3 species Kolkwitzia – beautybush, 1 species Linnaea – twinflower, 1 species Vesalea – 6 species Subfamily Morinoideae Morina – 14 species Zabelia – 8 species Subfamily Valerianoideae Nardostachys – 1 species Patrinia – 14 species Valeriana – valerians, 426 species Valerianella – cornsalads, 28 species
Uses The plants belonging to this family are mainly hardy shrubs or vines of ornamental value, many of which are popular garden shrubs, notably species belonging to the genera Abelia, Lonicera, and Weigela. Valerianella locusta is cultivated for use in food. Plants belonging to the family are sometimes used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
A few, however, have become invasive weeds outside their native ranges (such as Lonicera japonica).
References
Other sources Flowering Plants of the World, 1987, Vernon H. Heywood, Andromeda Oxford Ltd., Botanica, Gordon Cheers, Random House Australia,
External links
Caprifoliaceae in Topwalks Species account : Caprifoliaceae Comparison Table for the Cornidae