Buxaceae is a small family of four or five genera and about 90-120 species of flowering plants. They are shrubs and small trees, with a cosmopolitan distribution. A fifth genus sometimes accepted in the past (Notobuxus), has been shown by genetic studies to be included within Buxus (Balthazar et al., 2000).

The family is recognised by most taxonomists, and is sometimes known as the box family. However, its placement and circumscription has varied; some taxonomists treat Styloceras in its own family Stylocerataceae, and others have included Simmondsia (usually placed in its own family Simmondsiaceae) in Buxaceae.

The APG II system of 2003 recognises the family, but in a new circumscription in that it includes the genus Didymeles. However, APG II does allow the option of segregating this genus as family Didymelaceae, as an optional segregate. This represents a slight change from the APG system of 1998, which firmly recognised both families as separate. In both APG and APG II the family Buxaceae is unplaced as to order and left among the basal lineages of the eudicots. The AP website suggests instating the order Buxales for this family and the family Didymelaceae.

More on [ Buxaceae ]

PLoS Medicine: New Articles

Why Current Publication Practices May Distort Science
John Ioannidis and colleagues argue that the current system of publication in biomedical research provides a distorted view of the reality of scientific data.
Faecal and Urinary Incontinence after Multimodality Treatment of Rectal Cancer
Marilyne Lange and Cornelis van de Velde discuss the differential diagnosis and management of incontinence after rectal cancer treatment.
SLC2A9 Is a High-Capacity Urate Transporter in Humans
Mark Caulfield and colleagues show that the SLC2A9 gene, which encodes a facilitative glucose transporter, is also a high-capacity urate transporter.

EurekAlert! - Biology

Astrocytes and synaptic plasticity
Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400
(Rockefeller University Press) By mopping up excess neurotrophic factor from neuronal synapses, astrocytes may finely tune synaptic transmission to affect processes such as learning and memory, say Bergami et al. Their report is published in the Journal of Cell Biology.
Body's anti-HIV drug explained
Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400
(University of Southern California) Study in journal Nature reveals atomic structure of enzyme capable of repelling HIV virus, suggesting new approach for drug development.
Pectin power
Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400
(Norwich BioScience Institutes) Scientists from the UK's Institute of Food Research have found a new possible explanation for why people who eat more fruit and vegetables may gain protection against the spread of cancers.They have shown that a fragment released from pectin, found in all fruits and vegetables, binds to and is believed to inhibit galectin 3, a protein that plays a role in all stages of cancer progression.

Subscribe to Biology RSS feed