List of Malpighiales of South Africa explained

The Malpighiales comprise one of the largest orders of flowering plants, containing about 36 families and more than species, about 7.8% of the eudicots. The order is very diverse, containing plants as different as the willow, violet, poinsettia, manchineel, rafflesia and coca plant, and are hard to recognize except with molecular phylogenetic evidence. It is not part of any of the classification systems based only on plant morphology. Molecular clock calculations estimate the origin of stem group Malpighiales at around 100 million years ago (Mya) and the origin of crown group Malpighiales at about 90 Mya.

The anthophytes are a grouping of plant taxa bearing flower-like reproductive structures. They were formerly thought to be a clade comprising plants bearing flower-like structures. The group contained the angiosperms - the extant flowering plants, such as roses and grasses - as well as the Gnetales and the extinct Bennettitales.

23,420 species of vascular plant have been recorded in South Africa, making it the sixth most species-rich country in the world and the most species-rich country on the African continent. Of these, 153 species are considered to be threatened. Nine biomes have been described in South Africa: Fynbos, Succulent Karoo, desert, Nama Karoo, grassland, savanna, Albany thickets, the Indian Ocean coastal belt, and forests.

The 2018 South African National Biodiversity Institute's National Biodiversity Assessment plant checklist lists 35,130 taxa in the phyla Anthocerotophyta (hornworts (6)), Anthophyta (flowering plants (33534)), Bryophyta (mosses (685)), Cycadophyta (cycads (42)), Lycopodiophyta (Lycophytes(45)), Marchantiophyta (liverworts (376)), Pinophyta (conifers (33)), and Pteridophyta (cryptogams (408)).

20 families are represented in the literature. Listed taxa include species, subspecies, varieties, and forms as recorded, some of which have subsequently been allocated to other taxa as synonyms, in which cases the accepted taxon is appended to the listing. Multiple entries under alternative names reflect taxonomic revision over time.

Achariaceae

Family: Achariaceae,

Acharia

Genus Acharia:

Ceratiosicyos

Genus Ceratiosicyos:

Guthriea

Genus Guthriea:

Kiggelaria

Genus Kiggelaria:

Rawsonia

Genus Rawsonia:

Xylotheca

Genus Xylotheca:

Chrysobalanaceae

Family: Chrysobalanaceae,

Parinari

Genus Parinari:

Clusiaceae

Family: Clusiaceae,

Clusia

Genus Clusia:

Garcinia

Genus Garcinia:

Dichapetalaceae

Family: Dichapetalaceae,

Dichapetalum

Genus Dichapetalum:

Tapura

Genus Tapura:

Elatinaceae

Family: Elatinaceae,

Bergia

Genus Bergia:

Elatine

Genus Elatine:

Erythroxylaceae

Family: Erythroxylaceae,

Erythroxylum

Genus Erythroxylum:

Nectaropetalum

Genus Nectaropetalum:

Euphorbiaceae

See main article: List of Euphorbiaceae of South Africa. Family: Euphorbiaceae, 47 genera have been recorded. Not all are necessarily currently accepted.

Hypericaceae

Family: Hypericaceae,

Hypericum

Genus Hypericum:

Linaceae

Family: Linaceae,

Hugonia

Genus Hugonia:

Linum

Genus Linum:

Malpighiaceae

Family: Malpighiaceae,

Acridocarpus

Genus Acridocarpus:

Sphedamnocarpus

Genus Sphedamnocarpus:

Triaspis

Genus Triaspis:

Ochnaceae

Family: Ochnaceae,

Brackenridgea

Genus Brackenridgea:

Ochna

Genus Ochna:

Passifloraceae

Family: Passifloraceae,

Adenia

Genus Adenia:

Basananthe

Genus Basananthe:

Paropsia

Genus Paropsia:

Passiflora

Genus Passiflora:

Schlechterina

Genus Schlechterina:

Phyllanthaceae

Family: Phyllanthaceae,

Andrachne

Genus Andrachne:

Antidesma

Genus Antidesma:

Bridelia

Genus Bridelia:

Cleistanthus

Genus Cleistanthus:

Flueggea

Genus Flueggea:

Heywoodia

Genus Heywoodia:

Hymenocardia

Genus Hymenocardia:

Lachnostylis

Genus Lachnostylis:

Margaritaria

Genus Margaritaria:

Phyllanthus

Genus Phyllanthus:

Pseudolachnostylis

Genus Pseudolachnostylis:

Picrodendraceae

Family: Picrodendraceae,

Androstachys

Genus Androstachys:

Hyaenanche

Genus Hyaenanche:

Podostemaceae

Family: Podostemaceae,

Leiothylax

Genus Leiothylax:

Sphaerothylax

Genus Sphaerothylax:

Tristicha

Genus Tristicha:

Putranjivaceae

Family: Putranjivaceae,

Drypetes

Genus Drypetes:

Rhizophoraceae

Family: Rhizophoraceae,

Bruguiera

Genus Bruguiera:

Cassipourea

Genus Cassipourea:

Ceriops

Genus Ceriops:

Rhizophora

Genus Rhizophora:

Salicaceae

Family: Salicaceae,

Casearia

Genus Casearia:

Dovyalis

Genus Dovyalis:

Flacourtia

Genus Flacourtia:

Homalium

Genus Homalium:

Oncoba

Genus Oncoba:

Populus

Genus Populus:

Pseudoscolopia

Genus Pseudoscolopia:

Salix

Genus Salix:

Scolopia

Genus Scolopia:

Trimeria

Genus Trimeria:

Turneraceae

Family: Turneraceae,

Afroqueta

Genus Afroqueta:

Piriqueta

Genus Piriqueta:

Streptopetalum

Genus Streptopetalum:

Tricliceras

Genus Tricliceras:

Violaceae

Family: Violaceae,

Hybanthus

Genus Hybanthus:

Rinorea

Genus Rinorea:

Viola

Genus Viola: