Home > Honeysuckle family

The honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae) is a rather small family consisting of about 450 dicotyledon flowering plants, mostly small trees and shrubs (seldom herbs), including some ornamental garden plants in temperate regions. Some honeysuckles (Lonicera) are stem twiners, climbing plants or even lianas.

A few authorities (e.g. J. L. Reveal ) prefer the name Linnaeaceae for this group.

This family belongs to the order Dipsacales.

1 Range

2 Description

The leaves are evergreen or deciduous. The leaves are mostly opposite with no stipules (= appendage at the base of a leafstalk or petiole).

Flowers, often fragrant, are tubular funnel-shaped or bell-like, usually with five outward spreading lobes or points. The flowers usually form a small calyx with small bracts.

The fruit is in most cases a berryor a drupe. The genera Diervilla and Weigela have capsularFlowers and fruit (capsules) of the ground orchid Spathoglottis plicata''. In botany a capsule is a type of simple, dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. A capsule is a dehiscent structure composed of two or more carpels that, at maturit fruit.

3 Taxonomy

(with approximate numbers of species).

There is still much debate about the exact taxonomy of this family.

• Diervilla : (Bush Honeysuckle) : 3 species
• Heptacodium (Seven-son Flower): 1 species
• Leycesteria : 6 species
• Lonicera (Honeysuckle) : 180 species
• Sambucus (Elderberry) : 25 species
• SymphoricarposSymphoricarpos is a small genus of about 15 species of deciduous shrubs in the family Caprifoliaceae. All but one are natives of North America and Central America, the one remaining is from western China. The leaves are 1. 5-5 cm long, rounded, entire or (Snowberry) : 17 species
• Triosteum (Horsegentian): 6 species
• Weigela : 10 species.

(regarded, by ‘Backlund and Bremer’, as rather belonging to the order Apiales or Cornales; but remaining in the Caprifoliaceae)

• ViburnumViburnum is a genus of 150 species of shrubs; some species may attain small tree size. A few species have fragrant flowers. The berries are often eaten by birds and other wildlife, and some are edible for people (though many others are mildly poisonous to : 150 to 225 species

(regarded by some as belonging to a separate family Linneaceae)

• AbeliaAbelia is a genus of about 30 species and many cultivars from the Honeysuckle family ( Caprifoliaceae). Abelia is placed, by some authors, in a separate family Linnaeaceae. They consist of mainly evergreen shrubs, but in colder climates they become decidu : 30 species
• Dipelta : 4 species
• Kolkwitzia (Beautybush) 1 species
• Linnaea : (Twinflower) : 1 species

(regarded by some as belonging to a separate family Adoxaceae /Alseuosmiaceae)

• Alseuosmia : 8 species
• Memecylanthus : 1 species
• Periomphale : 2 species

(regarded by some as belonging to a separate family Adoxaceae /Carlemanniaceae)

• Carlemannia : 3 species
• Silvianthus : 2 species.