Family Theophrastaceae (Noun)
Meaning
Family of mainly tropical American trees and shrubs similar to those of the Myrsinaceae; often included in the Myrsinaceae.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The Theophrastaceae is a small family of flowering plants in the order Ericales, native to tropical and subtropical regions of Central and South America, with one species also found in southeastern United States.
- In botanical terms, the Theophrastaceae is characterized as a family of mainly tropical American trees and shrubs similar to those of the Myrsinaceae, with the majority of its members having fleshy fruits and tiny seeds.
- In classification systems that emphasize similarity to other families, the Theophrastaceae is often included in the Myrsinaceae, given their morphological affinities and overlap in range.
- Further molecular phylogenetic analysis, however, indicates that Theophrastaceae can be maintained as a distinct family of Ericales, underscoring the value of diverse analytical approaches in clarifying botanical classification.
- By closely examining their flower structure, botanists distinguish Theophrastaceae from related families, solidifying the basis for classification based on characteristic features of family-specific botanical traits.