Coriaria is the sole genus in the family Coriariaceae, which was described by Linnaeus in 1753.[3][5] It includes 14 species[6] of small trees, shrubs and subshrubs, with a widespread but disjunct distribution across warm temperate regions of the world, occurring as far apart as the Mediterranean region, southern and eastern Asia, New Zealand (where some are alpine species), the Pacific Ocean islands, and Central and South America.[4][7][8]

Coriaria
Coriaria ruscifolia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Coriariaceae
Mirb.[1]
Genus: Coriaria
L. 1753
Type species
Coriaria myrtifolia
Species

14; see text.

Coriaria distribution
Synonyms[4]
  • Heterocladus Turcz.
  • Heterophylleia Turcz.

The leaves are opposite or in whorls, simple, 2–9 cm long, without stipules. The flowers are borne in racemes 2–30 cm long, each flower small, greenish, with five small petals. The fruit is a small and shiny black (occasionally yellow or red) berry-like swollen corolla, highly poisonous in several species, though those of C. terminalis are edible. At least a few members of this genus are non-legume nitrogen fixers.

The Mediterranean species C. myrtifolia is known as redoul, and the several New Zealand species are known by the Māori name of tutu.

The South American species C. ruscifolia is an evergreen climber known as deu or huique, and is used in southern Chile to make rat poison.

Species

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Coriaria comprises the following species:[9][10]

Hybrids

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The following hybrids have been described:[9][10]

  • Coriaria × sarlurida Cockayne & Allan - New Zealand
  • Coriaria × sarmangusta Allan - New Zealand

Fossil record

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Coriariaceae fossils as pollen and seeds, are known from the Miocene of Europe.[12] The discovery of pollen grains from Early Campanian (ca. 82 Mya) deposits in Antarctica, which were described as Coriaripites goodii, expand the family’s fossil record and represent the so far oldest fossil of the order Cucurbitales.[13]

References

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  1. ^ Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (2009). "An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG III". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 161 (2): 105–121. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00996.x. hdl:10654/18083.
  2. ^ Lectotype designated by M. L. Green, Prop. Brit. Bot. 192 (1929).
  3. ^ a b Tropicos, Coriaria L.
  4. ^ a b Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  5. ^ Linnaeus, Carl von. 1753. Species Plantarum 2: 1037 in Latin
  6. ^ Christenhusz, M. J. M. & Byng, J. W. (2016). "The number of known plants species in the world and its annual increase". Phytotaxa. 261 (3). Magnolia Press: 201–217. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1.
  7. ^ Davidse, G., M. Sousa Sánchez, S. Knapp & F. Chiang Cabrera. 2014. Saururaceae a Zygophyllaceae. 2(3): ined. In G. Davidse, M. Sousa Sánchez, S. Knapp & F. Chiang Cabrera (eds.) Flora Mesoamericana. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México
  8. ^ Flora of China Vol. 11 Page 333 马桑科 ma sang ke Coriariaceae
  9. ^ a b "The Plant List entry for Coriaria". The Plant List, v.1.1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Missouri Botanical Garden. September 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  10. ^ a b Govaerts R. "Coriaria L." Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  11. ^ Altervista Flora Italiana, Sommacco a foglie di mirto, Tanner's Sumac, Coriaria myrtifolia L. includes photos and European distribution map
  12. ^ Else Marie Friis, Peter R. Crane, Kaj Raunsgaard Pedersen (2011). Early Flowers and Angiosperm Evolution. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521592836
  13. ^ Renner SS, Barreda VD, Tellería MC, Palazzesi L, Schuster TM (2020). "The evolution of Coriariaceae (Cucurbitales) in light of a new early Campanian (ca. 82 Mya) pollen record from Antarctica". Taxon. 69 (1): 87–99. doi:10.1002/tax.12203.