Convallarioideae is a monocot subfamily of the family Asparagaceae. It used to be treated as a separate family, Ruscaceae s.l., but this family was merged into Asparagaceae in the APG III system of 2009. Initially the name Nolinoideae was used, derived from the type genus Nolina. This name was supposed to have been published by Burnett in 1935. However, this has been shown to be an error, as Burnett based a subfamily on the Solanaceae genus Nolana not Nolina.
The subfamily includes genera that had been placed in a range of different families, including Ruscaceae s.s., Nolinaceae, Dracaenaceae, Convallariaceae and Eriospermaceae. Like many groups of lilioid monocots, the genera included here were once included in a wide interpretation of the family Liliaceae.
Taxonomy In the 2009 APG III system, the former family Ruscaceae was one of those sunk into a much broader family Asparagaceae. As a result, Chase and coauthors proposed a set of subfamilies for the Asparagaceae in 2009, including one they called Nolinoideae, supposedly published by Burnett in 1835 based on the genus Nolina. Many authors have subsequently used this name. However, in 2023, it was pointed out that Burnett actually published a subfamily Nolanoideae within the family Solanaceae, based on the genus Nolana. The earliest published and hence correct name for the subfamily thus becomes Convallarioideae, based on the genus Convallaria, published by William Herbert in 1837, a conclusion supported by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Website .
Genera A possibly incomplete list of the genera included in the Convallarioideae (former Nolinoideae) is given below. The reference is to the source which places the genus in this subfamily. The genera included here have varied widely in their limits and assignment to families and subfamilies; some former family placements other than Convallarioideae (which will be found in the literature) are given below.
GenusSourceTribeStevens, P.F. (2001 onwards). "List of Genera in Ruscaceae / Asparagaceae-Nolinoideae". Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Retrieved 2025-08-12.Former family placement(s)other than Ruscaceae s.l.Aspidistra Ker Gawl. (including Antherolophus Gagnep., Colania Gagnep.)ConvallarieaeConvallariaceaeBeaucarnea Lem.NolineaeDracaenaceae, AgavaceaeComospermum Rauschert?AnthericaceaeConvallaria L.ConvallarieaeConvallariaceaeDanae Medik.RusceaeDasylirion Zucc.NolineaeDracaenaceaeDisporopsis HancePolygonateaeConvallariaceaeDracaena Vand. ex L.(including Sansevieria Thunb.)DracaeneaeDracaenaceae, AgavaceaeEriospermum Jacq.EriospermeaeEriospermaceaeHeteropolygonatum M.N.Tamura & OgisuPolygonateaeConvallariaceaeLiriope Lour.OphiopogoneaeConvallariaceaeMaianthemum F.H.Wigg.(including Oligobotrya Baker, Smilacina Desf.)PolygonateaeConvallariaceaeNolina Michx.NolineaeDracaenaceaeOphiopogon Ker Gawl.OphiopogoneaeConvallariaceaePeliosanthes AndrewsOphiopogoneaeConvallariaceaePolygonatum Mill.PolygonateaeConvallariaceaeReineckea KunthConvallarieaeConvallariaceaeRohdea Roth(including Gonioscypha Baker)ConvallarieaeConvallariaceaeRuscus L.RusceaeSemele KunthRusceaeSpeirantha BakerConvallarieaeConvallariaceaeTheropogon Maxim.?ConvallariaceaeTupistra Ker Gawl.(including Campylandra Baker, Tricalistra Ridl.)ConvallarieaeConvallariaceae
Genera formerly placed in this subfamily Calibanus was a former genus that was placed in this subfamily when the APG III system was introduced.Calibanus. Kew Plants of the World Online https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:297730-2 Both members of the genus have since been transferred to the genus Beaucarnea (also a member of the subfamily) after molecular phylogenetic research demonstrated a strong phylogenetic relationship with species of Beaucarnea.Molecular phylogenetics and morphology of Beaucarnea (Ruscaceae) as distinct from Nolina, and the submersion of Calibanus into Beaucarnea (2014). Rojas-Piña, V., Olson, M.E., Alvarado-Cárdenas, L.O. & Eguiarte, L.E.. Taxon 63: 1193-1211. [Cited as Beaucarnea.]
References
External links
Convallariaceae, Dracaenaceae, Eriospermaceae, Nolinaceae, Ruscaceae in L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants: descriptions, illustrations, identification, information retrieval. Version: 3 May 2006. http://delta-intkey.com Liliaceae in Flora of North America NCBI Taxonomy Browser links, links, links, links links at CSDL, Texas