The family Asteropeiaceae, which consists of only 5 known species, has an interesting story. Despite being a small and relatively unknown family, it has managed to survive for millions of years, including through the devastating asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. This is because Asteropeiaceae contains some of the hardiest plant species in the world, able to adapt to extremely dry or harsh conditions. Additionally, recent studies have found that the family has medicinal properties, with some species being used for traditional healing in parts of Africa. Overall, Asteropeiaceae may be small, but it has certainly managed to make a big impact on the world.
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Short Description
Asteropeia is a genus of flowering plants. The genus contains 8 known species of shrubs and small trees, all endemic to Madagascar. It is the sole genus in family Asteropeiaceae. Members of the family are evergreen trees or shrubs.
Members of the family were separated from the Theaceae based on wood anatomy by the APG system, of 1998, and assigned to the order Caryophyllales in the clade core eudicots. The family consists of a single genus, Asteropeia, native to Madagascar.
According to the AP-Website it forms a clade together with the family Physenaceae (also of Madagascar).