The Polygalaceae (syn. Diclidantheraceae, Moutabeaceae, Xanthophyllaceae) or the milkwort family are made up of flowering plants in the order Fabales. They have a near-cosmopolitan range, with about 17 genera and 900–1,000 species of herbs, shrubs and trees. Over half of the species are in one genus, Polygala, the milkworts.