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Plant family

Lythraceae

Called “purple-loosestrife family” in GBIF

Lythraceae is a family of flowering plants that includes 28 genera and about 620 species of herbs, shrubs, and trees. The larger genera include Cuphea, Lagerstroemia (56), Nesaea (50), Rotala (45), and Lythrum (35). It also includes the members of the former families of the pomegranate and of the water caltrop. Lythraceae has a worldwide distribution, with most species in the tropics, but ranging into temperate climate regions as well.

From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

789
accepted species in GBIF
Source: GBIF
93
genera in GBIF
Source: GBIF
5
plants on Plant News
9
research articles
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Plants in this family

5 plants

Genera in this family

Also here, with one plant each: Lawsonia (Henna), Punica (Pomegranate), Lagerstroemia (Crape Myrtle).

Research on Lythraceae

9 articles
PubMed → · research article

Pomegranate root compound shields the gut from alcohol damage

The pomegranate tree many gardeners grow for its fruit also carries this protective compound in i...

PubMed → · research article

Morphological and phenological matching shape functional heteranthery.

If you grow crape myrtles and wonder why big bumblebee-sized carpenter bees seem to 'fit' the flo...

What science is finding about Lythraceae

Every article on Plant News that mentions a member of this family, newest first.

Latest finding

Pomegranate root compound shields the gut from alcohol damage

A compound from pomegranate root bark protected mice from alcohol-induced gut damage by blocking a cell-stress pathway, restoring healthy cell recycling, and preventing a destructive form of cell death. The finding points to pomegranate-derived compounds as a possible future treatment for alcohol-related gut injury.

Pomegranate leaf spray helps barley beat heat and disease

If you've ever watched a heat wave wilt your vegetable beds, this points to a plant-based spray, made from leaf extract and...

Pomegranate climate-adaptation / crop-improvement

Garden herbs and kitchen plants show promise against Alzheimer's brain plaques

The sulforaphane in the kale and broccoli you grow is now showing up in lab studies as one of the sharpest tools against the...

Henna medicinal-plants / ethnobotany

Pomegranate peel extract shields diabetic eyes by calming gut bacteria and blood vessel growth

The leathery peel you've been composting from pomegranates grown in warm-climate gardens or bought at the market carries...

Pomegranate medicinal-plants / phytochemistry

Morphological and phenological matching shape functional heteranthery.

If you grow crape myrtles and wonder why big bumblebee-sized carpenter bees seem to 'fit' the flower better than honeybees,...

Crape Myrtle pollinators / phenology

Himalayan medicinal plants for gastrointestinal disorders: ethnopharmacology and mechanistic insights.

Many of the herbs documented here—like cinnamon and pomegranate—grow in temperate gardens worldwide, and this review connects...

Pomegranate medicinal-plants / ethnobotany

Carbon-fixing bacteria and sediment organic carbon response to the introduction of mangrove plant Sonneratia caseolaris.

Coastal mangrove forests lock away carbon at rates far exceeding most terrestrial forests, and understanding which planted...

Sonneratia caseolaris soil-health / climate-adaptation

Vegetation of exotic fast-growing species Sonneratia apetala increases the potential of methylmercury production: Insights from carbon bioavailability, microbial metabolism and mercury methylators.

Mangrove restoration projects along coastlines are increasingly using fast-growing exotic species for quick results, but this...

Sonneratia invasive-species / soil-health

Dietary (poly)phenols, the gut-brain axis, and menopause: a perspective on an overlooked biological crossroad.

The blueberries, pomegranates, and green tea you grow or buy aren't just antioxidant-rich foods—your gut bacteria may...

Pomegranate gut-microbiome / plant-polyphenols