The World Flora Online

Herbs perennial or subshrubs, ascending or procumbent, sometimes climbing, with lower branches ± woody, sometimes glandular. Leaves opposite, subequal, often fleshy, margin entire or undulate. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, pedunculate, umbels or verticils, sometimes grouped into panicles. Flowers bisexual. Perianth constricted beyond the ovary, limb funnelform, white, pink, or purple, 5-lobed. Stamens (2-)3(-6), often long exserted; filaments linear, unequal, connate at base. Ovary stipitate. Style linear, exserted; stigma peltate. Fruit clavate or obconic, 10-ribbed, with large, raised, wartlike sticky glands. Seed erect; embryo curved; cotyledons enclosing the scanty endosperm.

Sous-arbustes , arbustes ou plantes herbacées vivaces, glabres ou pubescentes.'Tiges'très rameuses, généralement décombantes ou penchées.'Feuilles'opposées, pétiolées; limbe entier ou sinué, présentant une structure histologique dorsiventrale normale.'Inflorescences'en ombelles simples ou en verticilles superposés, sans involucre; bractées membraneuses, caduques.'Fleurs'régulières, souvent grandes; périgone à partie inférieure ellipsoïde ou claviforme, verdâtre, à partie supérieure pétaloïde, indupliquée et faiblement 5-lobée, infundibuli-forme ou campanulée, rétrécie à la base, au-dessus de l'ovaire, en un tube court; étamines 2-5, exsertes; filets capillaires, inégaux, soudés à la base; ovaire généralement ellipsoïde, rétréci à la base; style filiforme; stigmate pelté, à petites papilles.'Anthocarpe'subcylindrique, claviforme ou fusiforme, à 10 côtes, lignifié, pubescent ou glabre, portant des glandes visqueuses abondantes surtout près du sommet.'Caryopse à embryon courbé, à cotylédons entourant un maigre périsperme; radicule mince, allongée et descendante.\n\t\t\t\tEnviron 16 espèces dans les régions chaudes du Vieux Monde; 4 en Afrique et 2 au Congo belge.

Perennial herbs or subshrubs with slender, climbing or trailing stems, often woody towards the base Anthocarp cylindric-fusiform to clavate, rather obscurely 10-ribbed, with numerous, rather large, mucilaginous glands scattered over its surface; embryo hooked. Leaves opposite, subequal, mostly ovate-cordate, entire or sinuate, often fleshy, with conspicuous petioles Ovary stipitate; style filiform, exserted; stigma capitate Inflorescences bisexual, in umbels or verticels, on moderately long pedicels, bracteate; perianth trumpet-shaped, 5-lobed; stamens 2–6, exserted; filaments united at the base Anthocarp cylindric-fusiform to clavate, rather obscurely 10-ribbed, with numerous, rather large, mucilaginous glands scattered over its surface; embryo hooked. Leaves opposite, subequal, mostly ovate-cordate, entire or sinuate, often fleshy, with conspicuous petioles Ovary stipitate; style filiform, exserted; stigma capitate Inflorescences bisexual, in umbels or verticels, on moderately long pedicels, bracteate; perianth trumpet-shaped, 5-lobed; stamens 2–6, exserted; filaments united at the base

SELECTED REFERENCE

Harriman, N. A. 1999. Synopsis of New World Commicarpus (Nyctaginaceae). Sida 18: 678-684.

Herbs or shrubs, perennial, suffrutescent, glabrous or glabrate [pubescent], from stout, ± woody taproots. Stems decumbent to erect, often reclining on or clambering in other vegetation, unarmed, without glutinous bands on internodes. Leaves petiolate, thin, subequal in each pair, base ± symmetric. Inflorescences terminal and axillary, pedunculate, umbellate [capitate, verticellate]; bracts deciduous, 1 at base of each pedicel, distinct, narrowly lanceolate [ovate], thinly herbaceous. Flowers bisexual, chasmogamous; perianth radially symmetric, short funnelform or campanulate, constricted beyond ovary, tube flared to 5-lobed limb; stamens 2(-3)[-6], exserted; styles exserted beyond anthers; stigmas peltate. Fruits clavate, sometimes slightly curved, finely 10-striate or -ribbed, stiffly coriaceous, glabrous or minutely puberulent, with large stalked or subsessile, very sticky glands, especially near apex.

Stamens 2–5 (6), exserted; filaments filiform, often unequal, connate into short sheath at the base; anthers dithecous. Perianth often with rhaphides clearly visible over surface, lower portion constricted above ovary with glands over surface often particularly around apex, greenish, persistent, upper portion petaloid, coloured, infundibuliform, shallowly lobed, sometimes with distinct basal tube, caducous after anthesis. Anthocarps cylindrical, fusiform, clavate or turbinate, more or less 10-sulcate, with variously arranged, large, viscid, sessile or stipitate glands. Ovary usually ellipsoid, often stipitate, 1-ovulate; style filiform, exserted; stigma capitate. Perennial herbs or subshrubs. Stems long, slender, erect, reclining or climbing, often much branched. Leaves opposite in (sub) equal pairs, petiolate, often fleshy, usually entire or repand, rhaphides often visible on inferior surface in dried state. Inflorescences umbellate, verticillate, irregularly branched or mixed, pedunculate. Flowers small, fugacious, hermaphrodite, usually pedicellate; each pedicel bracteate. Bracts caducous. Perianth often with rhaphides clearly visible over surface, lower portion constricted above ovary with glands over surface often particularly around apex, greenish, persistent, upper portion petaloid, coloured, infundibuliform, shallowly lobed, sometimes with distinct basal tube, caducous after anthesis. Anthocarps cylindrical, fusiform, clavate or turbinate, more or less 10-sulcate, with variously arranged, large, viscid, sessile or stipitate glands. Ovary usually ellipsoid, often stipitate, 1-ovulate; style filiform, exserted; stigma capitate. Perennial herbs or subshrubs. Stems long, slender, erect, reclining or climbing, often much branched. Leaves opposite in (sub) equal pairs, petiolate, often fleshy, usually entire or repand, rhaphides often visible on inferior surface in dried state. Inflorescences umbellate, verticillate, irregularly branched or mixed, pedunculate. Flowers small, fugacious, hermaphrodite, usually pedicellate; each pedicel bracteate. Bracts caducous.