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Interactive Key to the Genera of Malpighiales

Glochidion kerangae (Phyllanthaceae) Photo: G.L. Challen

Identification of Euphorbiaceae sensu lato, Achariaceae sensu lato and Salicaceae sensu lato (including Flacourtiaceae) is considered problematic even by expert taxonomists, and they are often confused with each other. When the Malpighiales Team at RBG 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 (2001), who had already retired at this time, meant that there was a more or less standardised morphological description available for all genera. The opportunity to construct such a key for Achariaceae sensu lato and Salicaceae sensu lato arose from work for the accounts for these groups for Kubitzki’s “Families and Genera of Vascular Plants” by Sue Zmarzty (see project: Salicaceae sensu lato and Achariaceae sensu lato for Kubitzki’s Families and Genera of Vascular Plants). Don Kirkup’s interest in Ochnaceae added another Malpighiales group.

Work on the DELTA Euphorbiaceae sensu lato key (Hoffmann et al. 2005) started in 2002 as a one-year undergraduate project. The generic descriptions in Genera Euphorbiacearum, comprising Centroplacaceae, Euphorbiaceae sensu 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 continues to 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 keys to Achariaceae sensu lato, Salicaceae sensu lato and Ochnaceae are also available at our internet site (www.kew.org/herbarium/keys/malpigs). The next step is to merge the three individual keys into one. It is hoped that in the future, more malpighialean families will be included. Anyone interested in developing and adding a comparable dataset of other families is invited to contact the Kew Malpighiales Team.

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