[Crown Copyright Reserved.] 
ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW. 
BULLETIN 
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. 
No. 3] : [1921 
IX.—THE GENERA OF FUMARIACEAE AND 
THEIR DISTRIBUTION. 
J. HuTcHInson. 
Pumariaceae is now generally recognised as a family distinct 
from the Papaveraceae proper. It is noteworthy, however, that 
in both Bentham and Hooker’s Genera Plantarum (i. 54), and 
Engler and Prantl’s Pflanzenfamilien (III. ii. 130), it stands as a 
subfamily and tribe respectively of Papaveraceae. As a separate 
family it was first described by A. P. DeCandolle in his ‘‘ Systema” 
(ii. 105; 1821), again in the ‘“ Prodromus”’ (i. 125; 1824), and 
by Lindley in his “ Vegetable Kingdom” (ed. 3, 435, 1853). 
Endlicher (Gen. Pi. 858; 1836) ranked the group as a subfamily. 
The present writer is not so much concerned as to whether the 
Fumariaceae should be regarded as a family or a subfamily.* 
In his opinion it is quite distinctly separated as a group from 
Papaveraceae proper, and nearly as closely allied to certain genera 
of Berberidaceae, such as Epimedium, Aceranthus and Bongardia. 
That there is close affinity with certain Papaveraceae is quite 
evident, especially with Chelidonium and allied genera. But it is 
probable that this alliance is more apparent than real, and that 
the Fumariaceae have not arisen directly from the ancestors of 
the present Papaveraceae 
In 1821 DeCandolle (ll. cc.) recognised six genera of 
Fumariaceae, (1) Diclytra, Borckh. (Dicentra), (2) Adlumia, 
Raf., (3) Cysticapnos, Boerh., (4) Corydalis, DC., (5) Sarcocapnos, 
DC., and (6) Fumaria, Linn. In addition to these six, Endlicher 
in 1836 (l.c.) gave descriptions of six more genera, namely, 
Hypecoum, Linn., Chiazospermum, Bernh., Dactylicapnos, Wall., 
Phacocapnos, Bernh., Discocapnos, Cham. & Schlecht., and 
Platycapnos, Bernh. Lindley in 1853 added Capnites, Dum., 
Leonticoides, Lindl., and Aplectrocapnos, Boiss. & Reut., bringing 
* See Bernhardi, ‘‘ Uber den Charakter und die Verwandtschaft der 
Papaveraceen und Fumariaceen ” in Linnaea, viii. 401-477 (1833): and 
xii. 651-668 (1838). 
a (78)14645 Wt31—P20 1000 6/21 E&S A 
