胡麻科科

分类

脂麻科在1981年的克朗奎斯特分类法中被分到玄参目中，并将角脂麻科（Martyniaceae）也分入本科，两科的植物都具有毛，所以叶子和茎都有一种喇手的感觉，果实都类似角状，但最新的依据基因亲缘关系分类的APG 分类法认为两类植物的关系并不近，因此将角脂麻类植物单独分为一个科，将这两个科分入唇形目。

形态

脂麻科植物的形态如下：

一年生或多年生草本，极少为木本。

叶对生，有时在茎末端互生，表面密布乳腺，无托叶。

花大型，两侧对称，通常单生。花柄具蜜腺。

萼四部或五部。

花为唇形或接近唇形，五片裂瓣。

雄蕊四枚，二型，有时仅二枚。花药二室，纵裂。

花盘肉质，子房上位，二室或四室。中轴胎座。胚珠二至多数。花柱细丝状，柱头二裂。

果实开裂或不开裂，具翅，或通常为钩、刺、或其他突起。这些突出物是花的变态。

种子各（子房）室中一枚至多数。

分布

本科植物约有13属50余种大部分分布在非洲、澳洲的热带地区，中国只有二属二种。

重要性

脂麻科中最重要的植物是芝麻（Sesamum indicum）, 一种重要的油料作物。

Pedaliaceae, the pedalium family or sesame family, is a flowering plant family classified in the order Lamiales.

The family includes sesame (Sesamum indicum), the source of sesame seeds.

It comprises 11 genera and approximately 80 species. Eight genera are native to the African continent and one genus (Uncarina) is endemic to Madagascar. Two genera (Sesamum and Pedalium) are mainly African natives but they also include regions to the east (including Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka, Malayan Islands and northern Australia).

The family has a diverse range of seed and fruit dispersal throughout the various species. Including; animal dispersal via burrs, carried by feet (in Harpagophytum) or caught in the fur of passing animals (Uncarina), winged fruits using the wind for dispersal (Holubia and Pterodiscus), or even winged seeds (Sesamothamnus and Sesamum) or via wind-ballists (Rogeria).

Wind-ballists are when the fruits open at the top but stay on the plant, then as the stems produce strong movements, the seeds are then gradually expelled.

Taxonomy

The family is in the order Lamiales, as confirmed by the most recent classification of the APG IV system.

The historical Cronquist system placed the family in the Scrophulariales. Cronquist included the family Martyniaceae in Pedaliaceae, but phylogenetic studies have shown that the two families are not closely related and they are maintained as separate by the APG. Both families are characterized by having mucilaginous hairs, which often give the stems and leaves a slimy or clammy feel, and often have fruits with hooks or horns.