This flora treatment is the most comprehensive account ever produced for the Barbeuiaceae family. The family is endemic to Madagascar and contains one species in one genus. An overview of the family is provided with notes on distribution, classification, wood anatomy and pollen morphology. The sole species is typified here, illustrated and comes with a description including data on its habitat, known herbariam specimens at major herbaria, distribution map and additional observations.
Summary
Barbeuiaceae is endemic to Madagascar and contains one species in one genus. The genus was originally described as an insertae sedis, and the species Barbeuia madagascariensis, was described later in Elaeocarpaceae and then treated as Phytolaccaceae for most of its history. Molecular studies found the genus to be placed in Caryophyllales where it formed an independent lineage. Diagnostic macro-morphological characters for the family are: glabrous scandent shrubs, leaves blackening when drying, stipules absent, flowers bisexual, perianth 1-whorled, free, imbricate and green, stamens many and fruit a loculicidal capsule with 1–2 seeds. Successive cambia are present in the wood, vessels are dimorphic in diameter, axial parenchyma is vasicentric and rays are multiseriate. Pollen grains are subprolate, pantoaperturate and with microechinate ornamentation. The sole species in the family is typified, illustrated and is accompanied by a detailed description including data on its habitat, known herbarium specimens at major herbaria and additional observations.
