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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Washington, D.C. » National Arboretum » Floral and Nursery Plants Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #220359

Title: Pittosporaceae

Author
item MCCLINTOCK, ELIZABETH - DECEASED
item Whittemore, Alan

Submitted to: Jepson Manual of the Higher Plants of California, Ed. 2.
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/26/2009
Publication Date: 1/31/2012
Citation: Mcclintock, E., Whittemore, A.T. 2012. Pittosporaceae. Jepson Manual of the Higher Plants of California, Ed. 2. pp. 1000-1001.

Interpretive Summary: This contribution will form a section of The Jepson Manual of the higher plants of California, a manual published by the University of California to provide up-to date information on the taxonomy, distribution, and ecological status of all plants that are wild or invasive in California, together with a guide for identification, aimed at professional and sophisticated amateur users. The taxonomy, distribution, and ecological status of all species of Pittosporaceae that grow outside of cultivation in California is reevaluated, based primarily on a thorough reexamination of available herbarium specimens, and a guide for identification is supplied. Five species in two genera are included. These are important as ornamentals, and one species is being monitored because it is a serious invasive outside the United States. This contribution provides up-to-date information on the biology of this group of species, along with identification aids. It will support accurate identification of species of concern as possible invasives. It will be used by professional land managers, educators, conservationists, and sophisticated amateur botanists and horticulturalists, insuring that work on land management and conservation will be based on full, accurate and up-to-date information about the basic biology and relationships of these organisms.

Technical Abstract: The family Pittosporaceae is treated for The Jepson Manual of the higher plants of California, a detailed floristic manual for the state published by the University of California. Two genera and five species are recognized; full morphological descriptions, dichotomous keys, and brief summaries of geographical and ecological distribution, economic use, and taxonomic notes are given for each of them. These species that are important as a commercial ornamentals, and one species is being monitored because it is a serious invasive outside the United States. This contribution will support accurate identification of species of species of concern as possble invasives.