Quillajaceae
| Quillajaceae | |
|---|---|
| Quillaja saponaria at Jardí Botànic de Barcelona | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Quillajaceae D.Don |
| Genera | |
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Quillajaceae, the soapbark family,[1] is a family of flowering plants. It contains a single extant genus Quillaja, containing only two species,[2] and one fossil species, Dakotanthus cordiformis.[3]
Description
Quillajaceae are saponin-producing trees with bisexual flowers. Their leaves tend to be simple and alternating. Inflorescences are in cymes. Flowers are varied among the species, but tend to have parts of five. Each whorl is distinct and unfused, notably having 5 apocarpous carpels. The fruits are loculicidal capsules, forming a star shape and dehiscing to release the seeds.[3][4]
Etymology
Both the family name Quillajaceae and the genus Quillaja are derived from the Mapuche word "quillean" which means "to wash." This is likely because of its saponin production, which is harvested to make soaps.[5]
Range
Species in the genus Quillaja are found in Southern America, with Q. saponaria found in central Chile and Q. brasiliensis found in southern Brazil as well as bordering countries.[6] Fossils from the extinct species Dakotanthus cordiformis have been found in Kansas and Nebraska.[3]
Uses
Plants in the Quillajaceae family produce saponins, which are extracted from the bark or leaves. Saponin are used in many things, such as soap, cosmetics, and emulsions of vaccines.[7][5]
Phylogeny
Quillaja, the only genus in this family, was originally in the Rosaceae family, but recent molecular data instead placed it in its own family, Quillajaceae, under the order Fabales instead. [8]
References
- ^ "Definition of SOAPBARK". www.merriam-webster.com. 23 September 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ Watson, L. & Dallwitz, M.J. (28 December 2019). "Quillajaceae D. Don". The families of flowering plants: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval. Retrieved 26 November 2025 – via delta-intkey.com.
- ^ a b c Manchester, Steven R.; Dilcher, David L.; Judd, Walter S.; Corder, Brandon; Basinger, James F. (1 June 2018). "Early Eudicot flower and fruit: Dakotanthus gen. nov. from the Cretaceous Dakota Formation of Kansas and Nebraska, USA". Acta Palaeobotanica. 58 (1): 27–40. doi:10.2478/acpa-2018-0006. ISSN 2082-0259.
- ^ Bello, M. A.; Hawkins, J. A.; Rudall, P. J. (2008). "Floral morphology and development in Quillajaceae and Surianaceae (Fabales), the species-poor relatives of Leguminosae and Polygalaceae". Annals of Botany. 101 (9): 1433, 1491–1505. doi:10.1093/aob/mcn073. ISSN 1095-8290. PMC 2710263. PMID 18494144.
- ^ a b Freire, Ageu da Silva Monteiro; Chagas, Kyvia Pontes Teixeira das; Lucas, Fernanda Moura Fonseca; Milani, Jaçanan Eloisa de Freitas; Cademartori, Pedro Henrique Gonzalez de; Blum, Christopher Thomas (1 December 2024). "Overview of saponin-producing species of Quillajaceae from a global perspective". Biochemical Systematics and Ecology. 117 104919. doi:10.1016/j.bse.2024.104919. ISSN 0305-1978.
- ^ Luebert, Federico (2014). "Taxonomy and distribution of the genus Quillaja Molina (Quillajaceae)". Feddes Repertorium, Journal of Botanical Taxonomy and Geobotany. 124 (4): 157–162 – via Wiley Online Library.
- ^ Guerra, Fernando; Sepúlveda, Sebastián (2021). "Saponin production from Quillaja genus species. An insight into its applications and biology". Scientia Agricola. 78: e20190305. doi:10.1590/1678-992X-2019-0305. ISSN 1678-992X.
- ^ Luebert, Federico (2013). "Taxonomy and distribution of the genus Quillaja Molina (Quillajaceae)". Feddes Repertorium. 124 (4): 157–162. doi:10.1002/fedr.201400029. ISSN 0014-8962.