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Order: Piperales
Life
> eukaryotes >
Archaeoplastida >
Chloroplastida
>
Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants)
> Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants)
> Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering
plants)
> magnoliids
Four families, all of which are encountered in southern
Africa. Of the 17 genera and 2090
species worldwide, four genera and 14 species are native to southern Africa, one
species is naturalised, and an additional 19 species are cultivated in the
region.
Families encountered in southern Africa
Hydnoraceae
Rootless, leafless, fungus-looking plants that in southern Africa are
parasitic on Euphorbia,
Acacia and Albizia
species. Two genera and seven species (Africa, Madagascar, Arabia, South and
Central America) with one genus (Hydnora) and
three species native to southern Africa . |
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Aristolochiaceae
Eight genera and 480 species (on all continents),
Aristolochia
(pipevines, Dutchman's pipes) is the only genus represented in southern
Africa with three native species, one naturalised, and an additional seven
species that are cultivated in the region. |
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Piperaceae (pepper family)
Five genera and about 3600 species (pantropical), with
two genera (Piper and
Peperomia) and eight species native to southern Africa .
An additional 11 species are cultivated in the region, including
Piper nigrum (Black pepper). |
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Saururaceae
Five genera and six species (North America and east Asia). One species,
Houttuynia cordata (Dokudami), originates from east Asia and is
cultivated in southern Africa. |
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