Rhamnaceae

Buckthorn family
Alder Buckthorn (Frangula alnus) - leaves
Scientific classification
Kingdom : Plantae Division : Magnoliophyta Class : Magnoliopsida Order : Rosales Family : Rhamnaceae
Genera
Adolphia Alphitonia Auerodendron Berchemia Ceanothus - Ceanothus Colletia Colubrina Condalia Frangula Gouania Hovenia Karwinskia Krugiodendron Maesopsis Paliurus - Christ's thorn Reynosia Rhamnella Rhamnus - Buckthorn Sageretia Smythea Ziziphus - Jujube

Rhamnaceae, the Buckthorn family, is a family of flowering plants, mostly shrubs and often thornyy, some (e.g. Paliurus spina-christi and Colletia cruciata) spectacularly so. The family contains 55 genera and approximately 900 species. The Rhamnaceae have a worldwide distribution, but are more common in the subtropical and tropical regions. The earliest fossil evidence of Rhamnaceae is from the Eocene.

Economic uses of the Rhamnaceae are chiefly as ornamental plants and as the source of many brilliant green and yellow dyes.