Ceruminosae

Ceruminosae is a historical taxonomic name that has appeared in older botanical literature to designate a group of plants. In practice, the term did not have a single, stable circumscription, as different authors used it to encompass different assemblies of genera. Because of this lack of consistency, Ceruminosae never gained a foothold as a recognized, unambiguous rank in modern taxonomy.

Etymology and rationale for use are tied to the Latin cerumen, meaning earwax, and the name likely alluded to waxy or resinous characteristics observed in certain plant tissues or secretions noted by early classifiers. The association with such waxy traits varied between treatments, contributing to inconsistent boundaries for the group.

Taxonomic status today is that Ceruminosae is considered obsolete. It is not included as a valid group in contemporary classification schemes, such as those shaping current plant systematics, and is rarely used outside historical or bibliographic contexts. In the course of taxonomic revision, many groups formerly placed in Ceruminosae have been redistributed into other, more narrowly defined families or orders as plant relationships were clarified through morphological and, more recently, molecular data.

In summary, Ceruminosae serves as an example of how early classification efforts produced provisional groupings that later gave way to more stable, phylogenetically informed classifications. The term remains of interest mainly to historians of botany and to readers tracing the development of plant taxonomy. See also taxonomic nomenclature, historical classifications, and plant systematics.