What is "diapensiaceae"

Diapensiales \Diapensiales\ n. an order of plants, used in some classifications as coextensive with the family {Diapensiaceae}.

Syn: order Diapensiales. [WordNet 1.5] ||

Diapensiaceae \Diapensiaceae\ n. a natural family of northern temperate low evergreen plants; in some classifications placed in its own order Diapensiales.

Syn: family Diapensiaceae, diapensia family.

Diapensiaceae is a small family of flowering plants, comprising 12 species in five genera. Three of the genera, Berneuxia, Galax, and Pyxidanthera, contain only a single species. The Asian species of Shortia were formerly separated as the genus Schizocodon, and some authors still recognize S. soldanelloides under that name. Another genus, Diplarche, was included in the family by some authors but is now regarded as a member of Ericaceae.

• Berneuxia Decne.
• Diapensia L.
• Galax Sims
• Pyxidanthera Michx.
• Shortia Torr. & A.Gray

In other plant classifications such as the Cronquist system, the family was treated in its own order Diapensiales, but more recent studies such as the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group place it in the order Ericales.