S. Liede-Schumann¹ & Ulrich Meve¹

The collection of material now presented in this database has started almost 20 years ago, when Asclepiadaceae was still a well circumscribed family, and the exclusion or inclusion of Periplocoideae in this family was more a matter of taxonomic taste than of scientific value.  In the meantime, it has become clear that the evolution of pollinaria has taken place only once in the Apocynaceae, so that Secamonoideae and Asclepiadoideae (sensu Endress & Bruyns 2000) form a monophyletic group, while the Periplocoideae are monophyletic as well, but not in a sister group position to the Secamonoideae+Asclepiadoideae (Livsultz et al. 2005).

Of the 216 genera recognized at present, 64 are monotypic,  52 comprise more than ten species, and nine more than 100 species. The largest genus is presumably Matelea (Asclepiadeae - Gonolobinae) with ca. 280 species, followed by Hoya (Marsdenieae) with ca. 200 species.  As in every taxonomic group, a number of genera is still very insufficiently known.  Here, these are Heynella Backer (Marsdenieae), of which the type supposedly lies in BO, Oreosparte Schltr. (Marsdenieae) and Mahawoa Schltr. (Asclepiadeae - Cynanchinae), of which the types were destroyed in B, as well as Stelmagonum Baill., (Asclepiadeae - Gonolobinae), of which no type was found. 

Within these three subfamilies under consideration, numerous generic rearrangements have resulted mainly from molecular, but also from intensive morphological analyses (e.g., Goyder 2004, Liede & Täuber 2000, 2002, Meve & Liede 2001a, b, 2004 a, b, Rapini et al. 2004, Liede-Schumann et al. 2005), and more are about to be published.  This database aims at reflecting the current generic concepts of the three subfamilies, and includes now updates to the end of 2005. It is planned to update the database annually.  As far as possible, every genus is illustrated both by a plate and by a photograph, representing one or several species of the genus.  An interactive key to the genera is also provided.

Liede-Schumann, S. and Meve, U. 2006. The Genera of Periplocoideae, Secamonoideae and Asclepiadoideae (Apocynaceae). Updated Synopsis in the INTKEY databases of the DELTA System. Version: June 2006. http://www.pflanzensystematik.uni-bayreuth.de

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