| TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora. |
AND IS MAINTAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY |
Annual, perennial herb, shrubs, trees
Stem angled or cylindric
Leaves simple, entire, generally opposite, sometimes alternate or whorled
Inflorescence: raceme, spike, or panicle, terminal, or axillary clusters with 1–several flowers
Flower bisexual, generally radial; hypanthium cylindric to bell-shaped, generally membranous, persistent in fruit; sepals 4–6, generally persistent, appendages 3–5 or 0, alternate sepals; petals, stamens inserted on inner hypanthium; petals 4–6 or 0, alternate sepals, deciduous; stamens generally = or 2 X petals, included or exserted; ovary superior, chambers 2–6, style generally slender, stigma head-like
Fruit: capsule, opening by valves from top, splitting sometimes irregular or 0
Seeds 3–many
Genera in family: ± 25 genera, 450 species: temp, tropical, generally in wet habitats. Some ornamental or cultivated for medicine, dyes
Reference: [Graham 1964 J Arnold Arbor 45:235–250]
Annual, perennial herb, glabrous
Stem ascending to erect, angled
Leaves opposite, 4-ranked (rarely whorled)
Inflorescence: spike; flower 1 per axil, subtended by leaf-like bract
Flower radial; hypanthium bell-shaped; sepals generally 4, appendages 4 or 0; petals 4, tiny, < sepals; stamens generally 4, ± included
Fruit oblong to ± spheric, dehiscent by 2–4 valves
Seeds many, < 1 mm
Species in genus: ± 45 species: temp, tropical
Etymology: (Latin: wheel-like)
Reference: [Cook 1979 Boissiera 29:7–156]