Family · Rosids
Celastraceae
Bittersweet, spindle, khat
Bittersweet family: trees, shrubs and vines, including spindle trees, staff vines and the stimulant shrub khat.
- Accepted species
- 1,371accepted names · Kew WCVP
- Genera
- 99accepted genera · Kew WCVP
- Origin
- ≈70 MaCretaceous · crown age, Jin & Qian 2022 megatree
- Centre of diversity
- Southern Americamost native species · WGSRPD
Open Celastraceae in the treePan, zoom and dig into its genera in the interactive view.›
Plants you might know
- Euonymus (spindle)
- Celastrus (bittersweet)
- Catha (khat)
Largest genera
Salacia215 spp.
Maytenus176 spp.
Euonymus149 spp.
Gymnosporia117 spp.
Microtropis66 spp.
Parnassia56 spp.
Celastrus44 spp.
Elaeodendron41 spp.
Pristimera37 spp.
Crossopetalum34 spp.
Glyptopetalum34 spp.
Loeseneriella29 spp.
Peritassa21 spp.
Lophopetalum20 spp.
Stackhousia20 spp.
Tontelea19 spp.
Denhamia18 spp.
Wimmeria17 spp.
Schaefferia15 spp.
Zinowiewia14 spp.
Cheiloclinium13 spp.
Cassine11 spp.
Kokoona10 spp.
Reissantia9 spp.
Elachyptera8 spp.
Quetzalia8 spp.
Campylostemon7 spp.
Cuervea7 spp.
Mortonia7 spp.
Brexia6 spp.
Pleurostylia6 spp.
Salaciopsis6 spp.
Siphonodon6 spp.
Apatophyllum5 spp.
Putterlickia5 spp.
Dicarpellum4 spp.
Evonymopsis4 spp.
Gyminda4 spp.
Hippocratea4 spp.
Menepetalum4 spp.
Polycardia4 spp.
Psammomoya4 spp.
Pterocelastrus4 spp.
Thyrsosalacia4 spp.
Haydenoxylon3 spp.
Hylenaea3 spp.
Plenckia3 spp.
Tripterygium3 spp.
Arnicratea2 spp.
Brassiantha2 spp.
Brexiella2 spp.
Canotia2 spp.
Hypsophila2 spp.
Lauridia2 spp.
Lydenburgia2 spp.
Mystroxylon2 spp.
Paxistima2 spp.
Ptelidium2 spp.
Robsonodendron2 spp.
Salacighia2 spp.
The 39 smaller genera are in the interactive tree.
Where it grows
- Southern America356
- Africa336
- Asia-Tropical331
- Asia-Temperate280
- Northern America114
- Australasia70
- Pacific37
- Europe6
Native species richness by botanical continent (WGSRPD level 1), from Kew WCVP.
Related families
Celastraceae sits in the order Celastrales.