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Studies of the Icacinaceae IV. Considerations of the New World genera

1942; Harvard University Herbaria; Volume: no. 139-146 1941-43; Issue: 142 Linguagem: Inglês

10.5962/p.336265

0195-6094

Richard A. Howard,

Plant Ecology and Taxonomy Studies

The Icacinaceae is a poorly understood family of general tropical distribution.Since Miers separated the Icacinaceae from the Olacaceae in 1851 the family has had few general studies.Very little attention has been given to the New World genera and the existing treatments of these genera are unsatisfactory.When a general morphological study of this family was begun it was found that the taxonomic treatments then available were not to be trusted.For that reason a systematic revision of the family was started but had to be limited to the New World genera, for the present, because of the unavailability of much of the critical material and many of the type specimens.There are twelve recognized genera in the Western Hemisphere, all falling into the Icacineae as established by Engler in the Natiirlichen Pflanzenfamilien (1893).These genera do not constitute a coherent or natural division of the family.It is recognized that the group is an artificial one and it is considered in this study only as a matter of convenience for students of the New World floras.