Kingdom Plantae Rank Subfamily | Order Ericales | |
Similar Comarostaphylis, Vaccinioideae, Xylococcus bicolor, Monotropoideae, Comarostaphylis arbutoides |
The Arbutoideae are a subfamily in the flowering plant family Ericaceae. Phylogenetic analysis supported all genera of the subfamily as monophyletic, except Arbutus. Moreover, it was suggested that the non-sister relationship between Mediterranean and North American species may be explained by a once widespread distribution in the Northern hemisphere before the Neogene.
The genera Arbutus, Arctostaphylos, Comarostaphylis form a particular type of mycorrhizal symbiosis with fungi resembling ectomycorrhizas; it is termed arbutoid mycorrhiza.
References
Arbutoideae Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA