Biology:Punica

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Short description: Genus of flowering plants in the family Lythraceae

Punica
Temporal range: Eocene–Recent
Pomegranate fruit.jpg
Punica granatum
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Lythraceae
Subfamily: Punicoideae
(Horan.) Graham, Thorne & Reveal
Genus: Punica
L.
Species

See text

Synonyms

Socotria G.M.Levin[1]

Punica is a small genus of fruit-bearing deciduous shrubs or small trees in the flowering plant family Lythraceae. The better known species is the pomegranate (Punica granatum). The other species, the Socotra pomegranate (Punica protopunica), is endemic to the island of Socotra. It differs in having pink (not red) flowers and smaller, less sweet fruit.

Although previously placed in its own family Punicaceae, recent phylogenetic studies have shown that Punica belongs in the family Lythraceae, and it is classified in that family by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group.

The name is derived from the Latin word for the pomegranate, malum punicum, meaning "Carthaginian apple".[2]

The oldest fossils of the genus are from the Eocene of Europe, with the genus being widespread in Europe during the Miocene epoch.[3]

Extant Species

Image Scientific name Common Name Distribution
Punica granatum 004.JPG Punica granatum L. Pomegranate Iran to northern India
Punica protopunica Socotra.JPG Punica protopunica Balf. Socotran pomegranate island of Socotra (Yemen)

References

  1. "Genus: Punica L.". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 1998-06-02. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/genus.pl?10147. 
  2. Quattrocchi, Umberto (2000). CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names. 3 M-Q. CRC Press. p. 2230. ISBN 978-0-8493-2677-6. 
  3. Graham, Shirley A. (March 2013). "Fossil Records in the Lythraceae" (in en). The Botanical Review 79 (1): 48–145. doi:10.1007/s12229-012-9116-1. http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12229-012-9116-1. 
  • Graham, Shirley A.; Thorne, F. Thorne; Reveal, James L. (May 1998). "Validation of subfamily names in Lythraceae". Taxon 47 (2): 435–436. doi:10.2307/1223775. 
  • Graham S. A.; Hall J.; Sytsma K.; Shi S. (2005). "Phylogenetic analysis of the Lythraceae based on four gene regions and morphology". International Journal of Plant Sciences 166 (6): 995–1017. doi:10.1086/432631. 
  • Little S. A.; Stockey R. A.; Keating R. C. (2004). "Duabanga-like leaves from the Middle Eocene Princeton chert and comparative leaf histology of Lythraceae sensu lato". American Journal of Botany 91 (7): 1126–1139. doi:10.3732/ajb.91.7.1126. PMID 21653468. 

Wikidata ☰ Q4959355 entry