The Marcgraviaceae are a neotropical angiosperm family in the order Ericales. The members of the family are shrubs, woody epiphytes, and lianas, with alternate, pinnately nerved leaves. The flowers are arranged in racemes. The flowers are accompanied by modified, fleshy, saccate bracts which produce nectar. The flowers are pentamerous. The fruits are capsules.
Genera
Norantea guianensis subsp. guianensis
The family has seven genera:
Marcgravia L. - (ca. 65 spp.): S Mexico, Mesoamerica, South America, Antilles
Marcgraviastrum (Wittm. ex Szyszył.) de Roon & S.Dressler - (15 spp.): S Nicaragua to Peru, Bolivia plus 2 spp. in E Brazil
Norantea Aubl - (2 spp.): Caribbean and Amazonian basin of NE South America
Ruyschia Jacq. - (9 spp.): Mesoamerica, N Andes, Lesser Antilles
Sarcopera Bedell - (ca. 10 spp.): Honduras to N Bolivia, Guiana Highlands
Schwartzia Vell. - (ca. 15 spp.): Costa Rica through the Andes south to Bolivia, in the Caribbean basin and 1 sp. in E Brazil
Souroubea Aubl. - (19 spp.): Mexico to Bolivia (absent from the Antilles)
There are 2 known subfamilies; Marcgravioideae (containing Marcgravia and Marcgraviastrum) and Noranteoideae (containing the rest of the genera).
Former genus include Pseudosarcopera (now listed as a synonym of Sarcopera).
Other sources
Bedell, H.G. 1989. Marcgraviaceae. In: Howard, R.A. (ed.). Flora of the Lesser Antilles 5: 300–310.
Dressler, S. 2000. Marcgraviaceae. In: Flora de República de Cuba, Ser. A, Fasc. 5: 1–14.
Dressler, S. 2001. Marcgraviaceae. In: Steyermark, J.A., P.E. Berry, K. Yatskievych & B.K. Holst (eds.), Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana vol 6, pp. 248–260. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis.
Dressler, S. 2004. Marcgraviaceae. In: Kubitzki, K. (ed.). The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants. vol. 6, pp. 258–265. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
