Adoxaceae

Botanical characteristics

Plants belonging to the family Adoxaceae are angiosperms generally characterized by a variable habit that includes both herbaceous plants and shrubs. Among these, the genus Adoxa includes small herbaceous plants with compound leaves, while the genera Sambucus and Viburnum are mainly composed of shrubs, with compound leaves in the former and simple leaves in the latter.

The leaves are opposite and toothed, a distinctive trait of the family. The flowers are hermaphroditic, actinomorphic (radially symmetrical), but the lateral ones may show slight zygomorphy (bilateral symmetry). They consist of four floral whorls and from 4 to 6 elements per whorl; the sepals are usually two, but in lateral flowers they can be three. The corolla is formed by five segments and the stamens range from four to six. The carpels, from three to five, give rise to a semi-inferior ovary, and the styles number from three to five. The inflorescences are generally cymose and few-flowered, often with a terminal head. The fruit is a drupe, typical of many species of the family.

Distribution and diversity

The family Adoxaceae has a global distribution, with species present in various temperate areas of the northern hemisphere. It includes about three main genera with a total number of over 200 species.

Main genera and representative species

The family includes the following main genera:

• Adoxa L.: includes 4 species of small herbaceous plants, among which Adoxa moschatellina, a species also known in Italy.
• Sambucus L.: composed of about 22 species, mainly shrubs or large herbaceous plants, with compound leaves.
• Viburnum L.: the richest genus, with over 200 species of shrubs with simple leaves, widely distributed and with several ornamental and spontaneous species present in Italy.

Etymology

The name of the family derives from the genus Adoxa, a term of Greek origin, used by Linnaeus. The word "adoxos" means "without glory" or "without importance," a reference to the small size and modest appearance of the plant, but also to criticisms directed at the taxonomic system that included it. Nevertheless, Adoxa has gained some prominence as it gave its name to a type of female gametophyte, thus becoming a known plant in the field of botany.

Sources

• Wikipedia