New classification of Oleaceae

New classification of the Oleaceae family (Wallander and Albert 2000)

The Oleaceae comprise about 600 species in 24 extant genera (and one extinct) with a world-wide distribution. This new classification is based on a molecular phylogeny and differs from previous classification (Johnson 1957) in two major respects: the subfamily level has finally been abandoned (because the subfamily Jasminoideae is paraphyletic) and the positions of the genera incertae sedis, Nyctanthes, Dimetra, and Myxopyrum (the former two previously in the Verbenaceae), have been established. The result is published in:

Wallander, Eva and Victor A. Albert (2000) Phylogeny and classification of Oleaceae based on rps16 and trnL-F sequence data. American Journal of Botany 87(12): 1827-1841. [Abstract | PDF 195 K | Erratum]

Tribe	Subtribe	Genus	Synonyms (from RBG Kew)	Number of species and major distribution area
Myxopyreae		Myxopyrum	Chondrospermum, Myospyrum	4 species in C & S.E. Asia
		Nyctanthes		2 species in Asia
		Dimetra		1 species in Thailand
Fontanesieae		Fontanesia	Desfontainesia, Fontainesia	1(-2) species in the Mediterranean region, SW Asia and China
Forsythieae		Abeliophyllum		One species in Korea
Forsythieae		Forsythia	Rangium	One species in S. Europe and about 10 in E. Asia
Jasmineae		Menodora	Bolivaria, Calyptrospermum, Menodoropsis	24 species disjunct in N. & C. America (SW USA, Mexico), S. America (mainly Argentina) and S. Africa
Jasmineae		Jasminum	Jacksonia, Jasminium, Mogorium, Noldeanthus, some Nyctanthes	About 200 species in Africa, Asia, Australia
Oleeae	Ligustrinae	Ligustrum	Esquirolia, Faulia, Ligustridium, Parasyringa, Phlyarodoxa, Visiania	About 45 species in Eurasia, Australia and N America
	Ligustrinae	Syringa	Busbeckia, Ligustrina, Lilac, Lilaca, Lilacum	About 20 species in temperate Eurasia
	Schreberinae	Comoranthus		2 species in Madagascar and the Comores
	Schreberinae	Schrebera	Nathusia	About 4 species in Africa and India
	Fraxininae	Fraxinus	Apilia, Aplilia, Calycomelia, Fraxinoides, Leptalix, Mannaphorus, Meliopsis, Ornanthes, Ornus, Petlomelia, Samarpsea	43 species in temperate and subtropical areas of the northern hemisphere
	Oleinae	Chionanthus	Bonamica, Campanolea, Ceranthus, Cylindria, Dekindtia, Freyeria, Linociera, Majepea, Mayepea, Minutia, Minuta, Thouinia, Tessarandra	About 80-100 species (incl. Linociera) in America, Africa, Asia and Australia
		Forestiera	Adelia, Bigelovia, Borya, Carpoxis, Geisarina, Nudilus	14 species mainly in S. USA and Mexico, some in the Caribbean, C and S America
		Haenianthus		3 species in the West Indies
		Hesperelaea		One species in Mexico (extinct)
		Nestegis	Gymnelaea	4 species in New Zealand and one in Hawaii
		Noronhia	Binia, Noronhaea	About 40 species in Madagascar and the Comores
		Notelaea	Notelea, Postuera, Rhysospermum	About 13 species in Australia and Tasmania
		Olea	Enaimon, Leuranthus, Pachyderma, Picricarya, Pogenda, Tetrapilus, Steganthus, Stereoderma	33 species in the Mediterranean area, Africa, Asia, E. Australia and New Caledonia (10 species excluding the 23 in subgenus Tetrapilus)
		Osmanthus	Amarolea, Cartrema, X Osmarea, Pausia, Siphonosmanthus	About 30 species in S.E. Asia, New Caledonia and N. America (USA and Mexico)
		Phillyrea	Phillyraea, Philyrea, Phyllirea	2 species in the Mediterranean region and W. Asia
		Picconia	Henslowia	2 species in Macaronesia
		Priogymnanthus		2 species in S. America

Maintained by Eva Wallander | Last updated: 2010-03-02