Punica

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids II
Ordo: Myrtales

Familia: Lythraceae
Genus: Punica
Species: P. granatum – P. protopunica
Source(s) of checklist:

Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Punica in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2020 Nov 21. Reference page.

Name

Punica L., Sp. Pl. 1: 472 (1753).

Type species: Punica granatum L.

Synonyms

Homotypic
Granatum St.-Lag., Ann. Soc. Bot. Lyon v7. 132 (1880).
Type species: Granatum punicum St.-Lag.

Note:

Punica sinensis Hort. ex Lavallée Énum. Arbres 112 (1877) is a nom. nud. without known application.
References

Linnaeus, C. 1753. Species Plantarum. Tomus I: 472. Reference page.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Punica L. in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 2013-10-28.
Punica L. – Taxon details on Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
Punica – Taxon details on National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).

Vernacular names
Cymraeg: Grawnafal
Deutsch: Granatapfel
English: Pomegranate
Esperanto: Granato
español: Granado
suomi: Granaattiomenat
français: Grenadier
עברית: רימון
日本語: ザクロ属
português: Romã
svenska: Granatäpple
Tiếng Việt: Quả lựu

Punica is a small genus of fruit-bearing deciduous shrubs or small trees in the flowering plant family Lythraceae. The better known species is the pomegranate (Punica granatum). The other species, the Socotra pomegranate (Punica protopunica), is endemic to the island of Socotra. It differs in having pink (not red) flowers and smaller, less sweet fruit.

Although previously placed in its own family Punicaceae, recent phylogenetic studies have shown that Punica belongs in the family Lythraceae, and it is classified in that family by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group.

The name is derived from the Latin word for the pomegranate, malum punicum, meaning "Carthaginian apple".[2]
Extant Species

Image	Scientific name	Common Name	Distribution
	Punica granatum L.	Pomegranate	Iran to northern India
	Punica protopunica Balf.	Socotran pomegranate	island of Socotra (Yemen)

Flowers of P. granatum

References

"Genus: Punica L." Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 1998-06-02. Retrieved 2012-12-09.

Quattrocchi, Umberto (2000). CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names. Vol. 3 M-Q. CRC Press. p. 2230. ISBN 978-0-8493-2677-6.

Graham, S. A.; Thorne & Reveal (May 1998). "Validation of subfamily names in Lythraceae". Taxon. Taxon, Vol. 47, No. 2. 47 (2): 435–436. doi:10.2307/1223775. JSTOR 1223775.
Graham S. A.; Hall J.; Sytsma K.; Shi S. (2005). "Phylogenetic analysis of the Lythraceae based on four gene regions and morphology". Int. J. Plant Sci. 166 (6): 995–1017. doi:10.1086/432631. S2CID 37556600.
Little S. A.; Stockey R. A. & Keating R. C. (2004). "Duabanga-like leaves from the Middle Eocene Princeton chert and comparative leaf histology of Lythraceae sensu lato". American Journal of Botany. 91 (7): 1126–1139. doi:10.3732/ajb.91.7.1126. PMID 21653468.