Punica

Although Punica was previously placed in its own family Punicaceae, recent phylogenetic studies have shown that it belongs in the family Lythraceae, and it is classified in that family by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group.

The name is derived from the Latin word for the pomegranate, malum punicum, meaning "Carthaginian apple".

The oldest fossils of the genus are from the Eocene of Europe, with the genus being widespread in Europe during the Miocene epoch.

Extant species