The question was raised today whether the family Bretschneideraceae is recognized as still being valid for the genus Bretschneidera, or whether that family has now been sunk into Akaniaceae (and thus Bretschneidera would be in the Akaniaceae). The RHS Plant Finder 2003-2004 does not list Bretschneidera, so cannot be used as a first guide. The Flora of China, Volume 8 uses Bretschneideraceae but states: The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group suggests Akaniaceae , but also states: That it remains optional to separate the families according to the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group suggested to Douglas, Linda and myself that evidence to support placing the Bretschneideraceae within Akaniaceae is still lacking. We decided to continue to use Bretschneideraceae for Bretschneidera.
Akaniaceae The APG classicfication, although actively evolving, will be (eventually) the one everybody follows. I don't know the evidence for Bret. being in the Akan., but if that is where the APG are putting it, then there must be some. Floral anatomy puts B. very close to A., see: Floral anatomy and systematics of Bretschneidera (Bretschneideraceae) De Craene LPR, Yang TYA, Schols P, Smets EF BOTANICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 139 (1): 29-45 MAY 2002 Bremer B, Bremer K, Chase MW, et al. An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG II BOT J LINN SOC 141 (4): 399-436 APR 2003 --- For those interested I attach APG II - the current standard.
