Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 7, 2026

Hypoxidaceae

Hypoxidaceae is a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots.

Last revised
Jul 7, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
323 w
Citations
7
Source
Hypoxidaceae
Hypoxis hemerocallidea
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Spermatophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Hypoxidaceae
R.Br.1
Genera2

Hypoxidaceae is a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots.1

The APG IV system of 2016 (unchanged from the 1998, 2003, and 2009 versions) accepts this family.31 The family consists of five genera,2 with around 160 species.4

The members of the family are small to medium herbs, with grass-like leaves and an invisible stem, modified into a corm or a rhizome. The flowers are born on leafless shoots, also called scapes. The flowers are trimerous, radially symmetric. The ovary is inferior, developing into a capsule or a berry.

Uses

Curculin is a taste modifying sweet protein that was discovered from the fruit of a plant in this family (Curculigo latifolia). Consuming it causes water to taste sweet for a duration.

References

References

  1. Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (2016). "An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG IV". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 181 (1): 1–20. doi:10.1111/boj.12385. ISSN 0024-4074.
  2. Hypoxidaceae R.Br. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  3. Angiosperm Phylogeny Group III (2009), "An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG III", Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 161 (2): 105–121, doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00996.x, hdl:10654/18083
  4. Christenhusz, M. J. M.; Byng, J. W. (2016). "The number of known plants species in the world and its annual increase". Phytotaxa. 261 (3): 201–217. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1.
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