The exact taxonomic position of Aucuba long remained problematic. It was traditionally classified in Cornaceae but sometimes even accommodated in a separate family, the Aucubaceae. However, recent molecular phylogenetic research strongly suggests its inclusion in the Garryaceae. Aucuba is not even remotely related to Cornus and both genera belong to different orders, Garryales and Cornales respectively (APG II 2003).
A.P.G. II (2003) An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG II. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 141: 399-436.
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