Convallarioideae

Convallarioideae is a monocot subfamily of the family Asparagaceae. It used to be treated as a separate family, Ruscaceae s.l. but this family was merged into Asparagaceae in the APG III system of 2009. Initially the name Nolinoideae was used, derived from the type genus Nolina.^[2] This name was supposed to have been published by Burnett in 1935. However, this has been shown to be an error, as Burnett based a subfamily on the Solanaceae genus Nolana not Nolina.^[3]

Convallarioideae
Ruscus aculeatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Asparagaceae
Subfamily:	Convallarioideae Herb.[1]
Genera
See text

The subfamily includes genera that had been placed in a range of different families, including Ruscaceae s.s., Nolinaceae, Dracaenaceae, Convallariaceae and Eriospermaceae. Like many groups of lilioid monocots, the genera included here were once included in a wide interpretation of the family Liliaceae.^[4]

Taxonomy

In the 2009 APG III system, the former family Ruscaceae was submerged into the family Asparagaceae. As a result, Chase and coauthors proposed a set of subfamilies for the Asparagaceae in 2009, including one they called Nolinoideae, supposedly published by Burnett in 1835 based on the genus Nolina.^[2] Many authors have subsequently used this name. However, in 2023, it was pointed out that actually Burnett published a subfamily Nolanoideae within the family Solanaceae, based on the genus Nolana,^[5][6][3] so the earliest published and hence correct name for the subfamily is Convallarioideae,^[3] published by William Herbert in 1837,^[1] a conclusion supported by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Website as of August 2025^[update].^[7]

Genera

A possibly incomplete list of the genera included in the Convallarioideae (former Nolinoideae) is given below. The reference is to the source which places the genus in this subfamily. The genera included here have varied widely in their limits and assignment to families and subfamilies; some former family placements other than Convallarioideae (which will be found in the literature) are given below.^[4][8][9]

Genus	Former family placement(s) other than Ruscaceae s.l.
Aspidistra Ker Gawl. [2] (including Antherolophus Gagnep., Colania Gagnep.)	Convallariaceae
Beaucarnea Lem. [9]	Dracaenaceae, Agavaceae
Comospermum Rauschert [2]	Anthericaceae
Convallaria L. [2]	Convallariaceae
Danae Medik. [2]
Dasylirion Zucc. [4]	Dracaenaceae
Disporopsis Hance [9]	Convallariaceae
Dracaena Vand. ex L. [2]	Dracaenaceae, Agavaceae
Eriospermum Jacq. [2]	Eriospermaceae
Heteropolygonatum M.N.Tamura & Ogisu [9]	Convallariaceae
Liriope Lour. [4]	Convallariaceae
Maianthemum F.H.Wigg. [2] (including Oligobotrya Baker, Smilacina Desf.)	Convallariaceae
Nolina Michx. [2]	Dracaenaceae
Ophiopogon Ker Gawl. [2]	Convallariaceae
Peliosanthes Andrews [2]	Convallariaceae
Polygonatum Mill. [2]	Convallariaceae
Reineckea Kunth [9]	Convallariaceae
Rohdea Roth [9] (including Gonioscypha Baker)	Convallariaceae
Ruscus L. [2]
Sansevieria Thunb. [4]	Dracaenaceae
Semele Kunth [2]
Speirantha Baker [2]	Convallariaceae
Theropogon Maxim. [9]	Convallariaceae
Tupistra Ker Gawl. [2] (including Campylandra Baker, Tricalistra Ridl.)	Convallariaceae

Genera formerly placed in this subfamily

Calibanus was a former genus that was placed in this subfamily when the APG III system was introduced.^[2][10] Both members of the genus have since been transferred to the genus Beaucarnea (also a member of the subfamily) after molecular phylogenetic research demonstrated a strong phylogenetic relationship with species of Beaucarnea.^[11][12]