= Malvaceae
{c}
<Malvaceae> is an <angiosperm> <taxonomic family>, commonly called the mallow family. Its accepted members include the <taxonomic genus>[genera] <Gossypium> and <Theobroma>, connecting cotton <plants> with the cacao <plant> <Theobroma cacao> in one family-level classification. A <taxonomic family> is a grouping of related <organisms>, not a category defined by one harvested product.<Malvaceae in Plants of the World Online>[Accepted family and genera; Kew classification of Theobroma cacao]{ref}<Gossypium in Plants of the World Online>[Accepted genus and Malvaceae placement]{ref}
The hierarchy supplies a useful worked classification. Starting with <Theobroma cacao>, its <taxonomic genus> is <Theobroma> and its <taxonomic family> is <Malvaceae>. A <Gossypium> species belongs to another <taxonomic genus> within that same <taxonomic family>. Sharing a family therefore does not imply sharing a genus or being interchangeable as an experimental <organism>.<Malvaceae in Plants of the World Online>[Kew family/genera and cacao species classification]{ref}
<Cotton> and cacao also illustrate why familiar uses are poor diagnostic rules. Selecting <plants> because they yield a particular useful material can mix different levels of classification. To establish <Malvaceae> membership, identify the <organism> and consult its taxonomic placement; do not infer membership from a product name alone. Conversely, using a different part of a <plant> does not by itself place it in a different <taxonomic family>.
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