Family · Rosids
Melastomataceae
Princess flowers
Mostly tropical plants with distinctive arcuate parallel leaf veins and curved anthers; includes princess flowers and many berries.
- Accepted species
- 6,033accepted names · Kew WCVP
- Genera
- 169accepted genera · Kew WCVP
- Origin
- ≈44 MaPaleogene · crown age, Jin & Qian 2022 megatree
- Centre of diversity
- Southern Americamost native species · WGSRPD
Open Melastomataceae in the treePan, zoom and dig into its genera in the interactive view.›
Plants you might know
- Melastoma
- Miconia
- Tibouchina
Largest genera
Miconia1,893 spp.
Memecylon406 spp.
Medinilla391 spp.
Microlicia304 spp.
Sonerila212 spp.
Blakea200 spp.
Pleroma182 spp.
Meriania120 spp.
Chaetogastra117 spp.
Gravesia116 spp.
Melastoma102 spp.
Mouriri86 spp.
Astronidium68 spp.
Henriettea67 spp.
Graffenrieda66 spp.
Phyllagathis64 spp.
Astronia58 spp.
Brachyotum55 spp.
Monochaetum53 spp.
Warneckea49 spp.
Osbeckia43 spp.
Huberia42 spp.
Axinaea39 spp.
Marcetia38 spp.
Tibouchina38 spp.
Dichaetanthera37 spp.
Bertolonia36 spp.
Oxyspora33 spp.
Adelobotrys30 spp.
Anerincleistus29 spp.
Dissochaeta29 spp.
Bredia28 spp.
Poikilogyne28 spp.
Triolena28 spp.
Macrocentrum26 spp.
Macrolenes26 spp.
Cambessedesia25 spp.
Macairea23 spp.
Bellucia22 spp.
Perilimnastes21 spp.
Rosettea21 spp.
Calvoa20 spp.
Catanthera19 spp.
Driessenia19 spp.
Rhynchanthera19 spp.
Siphanthera19 spp.
Comolia17 spp.
Lijndenia17 spp.
Pternandra17 spp.
Pterolepis17 spp.
Fordiophyton16 spp.
Monolena16 spp.
Aciotis15 spp.
Creochiton15 spp.
Heteroblemma15 spp.
Tristemma15 spp.
Amphiblemma14 spp.
Heterocentron14 spp.
Allomaieta13 spp.
Ernestia13 spp.
The 109 smaller genera are in the interactive tree.
Where it grows
- Southern America3,777
- Asia-Tropical1,295
- Africa719
- Northern America219
- Asia-Temperate163
- Pacific52
- Australasia9
Native species richness by botanical continent (WGSRPD level 1), from Kew WCVP.
Related families
Melastomataceae sits in the order Myrtales.