Jepson Herbarium
		University of California, Berkeley

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Indexes to all accepted names and synonyms: | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

Annual, perennial herb, shrub, tree.
Stem: 4-angled or cylindric.
Leaf: simple, entire, generally opposite, 4-ranked ( alternate, whorled).
Inflorescence: flowers terminal or in axils of upper leaves or leaf-like bracts, 1 or in ± dense cymes or along short shoots, sessile or not, subtended by [0]2 bractlets.
Flower: bisexual, generally radial; hypanthium bell-shaped to cylindric, membranous or leathery, persistent in fruit; sepals appearing as hypanthium lobes, 4–9, epicalyx lobes alternate sepals or 0; petals, stamens inserted on inner hypanthium; petals 4–6 or 0, alternate sepals, crinkled, deciduous; stamens generally = or 2 × sepals, included or exserted; ovary generally superior, chambers 2–6[many], style generally slender, stigma head-like.
Fruit: dry capsule or leathery berry, dehiscent into 2–4 valves or irregularly.
Seed: 3–many.
± 28 genera, 600 species: temperate, tropics, generally in wet habitats. Some ornamental or cultivated for medicine, dyes. [Graham et al. 2005 Int J Plant Sci 166:995–1017] "Epicalyx lobes" (lobes on calyx) formerly called "appendages"; "hypanthium" in Lythraceae (and Onagraceae) including receptacle, sometimes called "flower cup" or "flower tube". Punicaceae (Punica) included here. —Scientific Editor: Thomas J. Rosatti.

Key to Lythraceae

Shrub, small tree, glabrous.
Stem: branches generally many, from near base, often a thorn at tip.
Leaf: simple, ± opposite, entire, deciduous.
Inflorescence: flowers 1, terminal, 0–4 subterminal, clustered.
Flower: bisexual, radial, hypanthium bell-shaped to cylindric, leathery; sepals 5–9, epicalyx lobes 0; petals 5–9, crumpled; stamens many, inserted at many levels in hypanthium; ovary inferior [partly superior], chambers generally 5 or more, irregular [or regular].
Fruit: berry, ± spheric, leathery, crowned by calyx, splitting irregularly.
Seed: many, outer seed coat fleshy, juicy, inner hard.
2 species: Medit, ne Africa to Himalayas. (Latin: from early name malus Punicus, "apple of Carthage") [Lersten & Horner 2005 Amer J Bot 92:1935–1941]

Stem: < 5 m.
Leaf: blade 1–9 cm, >> petiole, oblong- or lance- ovate, shiny adaxially.
Flower: 2–3 cm; hypanthium, petals bright orange-red to pale yellow.
Fruit: 5–12 cm, red-brown.
Seed: red (± white).
n=8,9. Uncommon. Disturbed ground; < 500 m. s San Joaquin Valley, s Central Coast, San Gabriel Mountains, n South Coast;

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Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) [year] Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/IJM.html [accessed on month, day, year]
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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Bioregions in which taxon occurs	Red area (if present) is the part of the bioregion lying between the upper and lower elevation limits of the taxon; markers link to CCH specimen records. If the markers are obscured, reload the page [or change window size and reload]. Yellow markers indicate records that may have georeferencing or identification issues.
Chart based on elevation range in Manual and elevations and coordinates of CCH records. Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria. Note: About half of the CCH records include both elevation and coordinates.	Map made in collaboration with Scott Loarie. Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria. View all CCH records   CCH collections by month Duplicates counted once; synonyms included. Species do not include records of infraspecific taxa. Blue line denotes Manual flowering time.