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The 25 Most Diverse Plant Families

Of the 380 flowering plant families, the following have the highest numbers of species:

  1. Asteraceae-Aster family (1,317 genera, 21,000 species)
  2. Orchidaceae-Orchid family (795 genera, 17,500 species)
  3. Fabaceae-Pea family (657 genera, 16,400 species)
  4. Rubiaceae-Madder family (637 genera, 10,700 species)
  5. Poaceae-Grass family (737 genera, 7,950 species)
  6. Euphorbiaceae-Spurge family (326 genera, 7,750 species)
  7. Lamiaceae-Mint family (224 genera, 5,600 species)
  8. Melastomataceae-Melastome family (215 genera, 4,750 species)
  9. Liliaceae-Lily family (294 genera, 4,550 species)
  10. Scrophulariaceae-Figwort family (222 genera, 4,500 species)
  11. Acanthaceae-Acanthus family (357 genera, 4,350 species)
  12. Myrtaceae-Myrtle family(121 genera, 3,850 species)
  13. Cyperaceae-Sedge family (115 genera, 3,600 species)
  14. Ericaceae-Heath family (103 genera, 3,350 species)
  15. Apiaceae-Carrot family (420 genera, 3,100 species)
  16. Rosaceae-Rose family (107 genera, 3,100 species)
  17. Brassicaceae-Mustard family (390 genera, 3,000 species)
  18. Araceae-Arum family (106 genera, 2,950 species)
  19. Asclepiadaceae-Milkweed family (348 genera, 2,900 species)
  20. Arecaceae-Palm family (207 genera, 2,675 species)
  21. Solanaceae-Potato family (90 genera, 2,600 species)
  22. Boraginaceae-Borage family (156 genera, 2,500 species)
  23. Gesneriaceae-Gesneriad family (146 genera, 2,400 species)
  24. Lauraceae-Laurel family (45 species, 2,200 species)
  25. Bromeliaceae-Bromeliad family (46 genera, 2,110 species)

The Rarest Plant Family

A number of plant families include only a single species, but the family with the fewest individuals may be the Saccifoliaceae, with only a single species, Saccifolium bandeirae. This species is native only to the summit of an isolated mountain in southern Venezuela.