What is "thymelaeaceae"

The Thymelaeaceae are a cosmopolitan family of flowering plants composed of 50 genera (listed below) and 898 species. It was established in 1789 by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu.

The Thymelaeaceae are in the order Malvales. Except for a sister relationship with Tepuianthaceae, little is known for sure about their relationships with the other families in the order.

The family is more diverse in the southern hemisphere than in the northern, with a major concentrations of species in Africa and Australia. The genera are overwhelmingly African

The Thymelaeaceae are mostly trees and shrubs, with a few vines and herbaceous plants.

Several genera are of economic importance. Gonystylus (Ramin) is valued for its hard, white wood. The bark of Edgeworthia and Wikstroemia is used as a component of paper, while Lagetta species are known as lacebark for their lacelike inner bark, which has been used to make clothing and utilitarian objects.

Daphne is grown for its sweetly scented flowers. Species of Wikstroemia, Daphne, Phaleria, Dais, Pimelea and other genera are grown as ornamentals.

Many of the species are poisonous if eaten.

A good collection of pictures of plants in this family has appeared in a scientific paper.

Herber (2003) recognized 45 genera, excluding Tepuianthus from the family, sinking Atemnosiphon and Englerodaphne into Gnidia, Eriosolena into Daphne, and Thecanthes into Pimelea.

The largest genera and the approximate number of species in each are Gnidia (160), Pimelea (110), Daphne (95), Wikstroemia (70), Daphnopsis (65), Struthiola (35), Lachnaea (30), Thymelaea (30), Phaleria (30), and Gonystylus (25).