Clemensiaceae

Clemensiaceae is a plant family name that has appeared in some botanical classifications as a distinct group of flowering plants. The circumscription of the family has varied, and it has historically included one or more genera. In many modern treatments, Clemensiaceae is not recognized as a formal, independent family; molecular phylogenetic studies within the Ranunculales tend to place the included taxa within Ranunculaceae or in closely related lineages, making Clemensiaceae a synonym or an informal grouping in current consensus.

Description and characteristics attributed to taxa formerly placed in Clemensiaceae are not uniform because the group is not consistently circumscribed. Plants described within the family have been described as herbaceous perennials or climbers with simple leaves, and flowers that resemble typical Ranunculales morphology. Reproductive structures and fruit types vary across genera that were assigned to the family.

Distribution: The historical genera associated with Clemensiaceae are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, though precise ranges depend on which genera are included in the circumscription.

Taxonomic status: The recognition of Clemensiaceae reflects historical classifications and reflects ongoing changes in angiosperm systematics driven by molecular data. Contemporary floras generally place its constituents within Ranunculaceae or close relatives in Ranunculales.

See also: Ranunculaceae, Ranunculales, plant taxonomy.