Contemporary Circumscription Compared with A Utah Flora 4th ed.

Bio430

Polemoniaceae

No differences at the family level; Many important differences at the genus level.  While Polemoniaceae is characterized as having 3 carpels, there are a few species with either 2 or 4 carpels that are impossible to key to family using A Utah Flora because its family key only works for plants with 3 carpels.  Sight recognition to family based on overall ghestalt and other features is helpful :-)

Key Features

Polemoniaceae is like Solanaceae and Convolvulaceae, etc, in having 5 fused petals and 5 epipetalous stamens alternate with the corolla lobes. However, instead of just 2 carpels, Polemoniaceae has 3.  Historically, emphasis on the stamens led most taxonomists to consider this family related to Solanceae; in reality, the 3 carpelate gynoecium is more important and relationships are with families allied to Ericaceae.