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Key to families | Table of families and genera

This text currently parallels The Jepson Manual: Vascular Plants of California, Second Edition that is now available at the University of California Press.

Text appearing in blue on this page will not appear in the printed book; it will be displayed only on the Web. Specimen numbers are hyperlinked to records in the Consortium of California Herbaria data view where possible. Taxa are hyperlinked to entries in the Jepson Interchange via the "[Online Interchange]" link.

 

ZYGOPHYLLACEAE CALTROP FAMILY

Duncan M. Porter


Annual, perennial herb, shrub, often armed; caudex present or not.
Stem: branched; nodes often angled, swollen.
Leaf: 1- compound, opposite, petioled; stipules persistent or not; leaflets entire.
Inflorescence: flowers 1–2 in axils.
Flower: bisexual; sepals 5, free, persistent or not; petals 5, free, generally spreading, twisted ( corolla propeller-like) or not; stamens 10, appendaged on inside base or not; ovary superior, chambers (and lobes) 5–10, each with 1–several ovules, placentas axile.
Fruit: capsule or splitting into 5–10 nutlets (= mericarps).
27 genera, ± 250 species: widespread especially in warm, dry regions; some cultivated (Guaiacum, lignum vitae; Tribulus, caltrop). [Sheahan & Chase 2000 Syst Bot 25:371–384] —Scientific Editor: Thomas J. Rosatti.

Key to Zygophyllaceae

1. Lflets 2

2. Lflets fused at base ..... LARREA

2' Lflets free at base ..... ZYGOPHYLLUM

1' Lflets 3 or more

3. Lflets 3, palmate, spine-tipped; stipules spine-tipped ..... FAGONIA

3' Lflets 6–18, pinnate, not spine-tipped; stipules not spine-tipped

4. Fr with many tubercles, 0 spines, 10 nutlets ..... KALLSTROEMIA

4' Fr with many tubercles, 2–4 stout spines, 5 nutlets ..... TRIBULUS

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Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on [month, day, year].
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