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Order:
Santalales
Life
> eukaryotes >
Archaeoplastida >
Chloroplastida
>
Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants)
> Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants)
> Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering
plants)
> Eudicotyledons > Core eudicots
Eight families of which four are encountered in southern
Africa. Includes many species that are root parasites. Twenty-three genera and
249 species are native to southern Africa and a further species in another genus
is cultivated in the region.
Families encountered in southern Africa
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Balanophoraceae
Seventeen genera and about 50 species, mainly tropical,
and all root parasites without chlorophyl. Two species native to southern Africa : Mystropetalon thomii and Sarcophyte sanguinea.
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Olacaceae
Fourteen genera and about 103 species, distributed mainly in the tropics,
with two genera and three species native to southern Africa . |
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Loranthaceae
Parasitic plants with green leaves that anchor themselves
to the host plant with suckers that are thought to be modified adventitious
roots.Native mainly to tropical and south temperate regions of the World. There
are about 68 genera and 950 species, with 13 genera and about 38 species native
to
southern Africa. |
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Santalaceae (sandalwood family)
About 44 genera and 990 species worldwide, occurring in
subtropical and temperate regions. Six genera and 206 species are native to
southern Africa and a further species in anothe genus is cultivated in
southern Africa. |
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Families not encountered in southern Africa:
Erythropalaceae, Opiliaceae, Misodendraceae, Schoepfiaceae
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