The family was first described in 1809 by
Johann Hoffmansegg and
Johann Link.[3] In 1896,
Robert Chodat split it into 3 tribes. A fourth tribe was split off from the tribe
Polygaleae in 1992.[4] Under the
Cronquist classification system, Polygalaceae were treated in a separate order of their own, Polygalales. Currently, according to the
Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, the family belongs in Fabales.
^Harvard University; Royal Botanic Gardens Kew; Australian National Herbarium.
"Polygalaceae". International Plant Names Index. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
^
ab"Polygalaceae". Flora of Victoria. Government of Victoria, Australia. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
^Abbott JR. (2011). "Notes on the disintegration of Polygala (Polygalaceae), with four new genera for the flora of North America". Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas. 5 (1): 125–137.
JSTOR41972495.
^
abPastore JF, Abbott JR, Neubig KM, Whitten WM, Mascarenhas RB, Almeida Mota MC, van den Berg C (2017). "A molecular phylogeny and taxonomic notes in Caamembeca (Polygalaceae)". Syst Bot. 42 (1): 54–62.
doi:
10.1600/036364417X694935.
S2CID90353852.
^Persson C. (2001). "Phylogenetic relationships in Polygalaceae based on plastid DNA sequences from the trnL–F region". Taxon. 50 (3 (Golden Jubilee Part 5)): 763–779.
doi:
10.2307/1223706.
JSTOR1223706.
^Bello MA, Bruneau A, Forest F, Hawkins JA (2009). "Elusive relationships within order Fabales: Phylogenetic analyses using matK and rbcL sequence data". Syst Bot. 34 (1): 102–114.
doi:
10.1600/036364409787602348.
S2CID85655712.