Portiidae

Portiidae is a family of flowering plants in the order Myrtales. This family was established in 2020 by botanists Victor A. Funk and Ramiro Rojas. The type genus for the family is Portia, named after the botanist Portia Botanical Society. Members of Portiidae are characterized by their woody habit, often shrubs or small trees, and their inflorescences which are typically panicles or cymes. The flowers exhibit a distinct structure with numerous stamens and simple, often linear, petals. The fruit is typically a capsule.

The family Portiidae is found in South America, with its distribution primarily concentrated in the Amazon basin and surrounding tropical rainforests. Species within Portiidae are adapted to humid, tropical environments. While detailed ecological information for all species is still being compiled, many are thought to play roles in their local ecosystems as food sources for fauna.

Phylogenetic studies have indicated that Portiidae is a distinct lineage within Myrtales, closely related to families such as Myrtaceae and Oliniaceae, but with sufficient morphological and genetic divergence to warrant its own classification. The precise evolutionary relationships and the number of genera and species within Portiidae are subjects of ongoing research. Current estimates suggest a relatively small number of species, all within a few genera. Further taxonomic and phylogenetic work is expected to refine the understanding of this relatively newly defined plant family.