Work on the DELTA Euphorbiaceae key started in 2002 as a one-year undergraduate project.
The generic descriptions in Genera Euphorbiacearum, comprising Centroplacaceae,
Euphorbiaceae senu stricto, Pandaceae, Phyllanthaceae, Picrodendraceae, and Putranjivaceae,
were digitised and further standardised. Aimeé Galster also illustrated each character state
where possible. Over the following years the key was tested and continually improved in the
Malpighiales Section of the Kew Herbarium during routine naming sessions. The size and diversity
of Euphorbiaceae sensu lato, and the wealth of data contained in this key is such that it is far
from perfect, but testing by more specialists will hopefully further improve the accuracy
of the database behind the key. The Kew Malpighiales Team welcomes any comments and corrections from users, and will regularly integrate them in updates.
The key is work in progress not only with regards to Euphorbiaceae sensu lato.
In the future, inclusion of more malpighialean families such as Achariaceae, Salicaceae,
and Ochnaceae are planned. Anyone interested in developing and adding a comparable dataset
of other families is invited to contact us.
Introduction
Euphorbiaceae sensu lato identification is considered problematic even by expert taxonomists,
and they are often confused with taxa of Achariaceae and Salicaceae previously known as
Flacourtiaceae. When the Malpighiales Team at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, was initiated,
the idea of an electronic key to the genera of these groups was born. Although Euphorbiaceae
sensu lato is by far the largest group in Malpighiales, the existence of Genera Euphorbiacearum
by Alan Radcliffe-Smith (who had already retired at this time) meant that there was a more or
less standardised morphological description available for all genera.
