Cyrillaceae | |
---|---|
Cyrilla racemiflora in Myrtle Beach, SC | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Ericales |
Family: | Cyrillaceae Lindl.[1] |
Genera | |
The Cyrillaceae are a small family of flowering plants in the order Ericales, native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Americas. The family comprises two genera, Cliftonia and Cyrilla, each containing a single species,[2] Cliftonia monophylla and Cyrilla racemiflora. However, additional species of Cyrilla are now often recognized and the genus is in need of taxonomic revision.
In the past, many botanists included a third genus, Purdiaea, in the family, though recent research has shown this genus is better placed in the closely related family Clethraceae.[3]