The World Flora Online

Herbs, annual or perennial [rarely shrublets or shrubs]. Stipules present. Leaves alternate or opposite, palmately or pinnately divided, petiolate. Flowers in cymes, pseudoumbels, rarely flowers solitary, usually bisexual, actinomorphic, or ± zygomorphic. Sepals 5, usually distinct, imbricate. Petals usually 5, distinct. Fertile stamens 5 or 10, usually in 2 whorls, sometimes a whorl reduced to staminodes; filaments basally connate or distinct; anthers 2-locular, longitudinally dehiscent. Ovary superior; carpels 5, connate; ovules 1 or 2 per locule, pendulous, anatropous. Fruit a schizocarp with 5 1-seeded awned mericarps which separate elastically from a central beak. Seeds usually with little or no endosperm; embryo folded.

Flowers often handsome, hermaphrodite, actinomorphic or slightly zygomorphic, axillary, solitary to subumbellate Annual herbs or undershrubs, rarely arborescent; leaves alternate or opposite, mostly lobate, dissected or compound; stipules often paired Seeds pendulous, with thin or no (rarely copious) endosperm and mostly curved or folded embryo Fruit lobed; lobes 1-seeded, rarely more-seeded, often beaked, opening from the base upwards Ovary 3–5-lobed; ovules 1–2 in each cell, superposed, pendulous, rarely more than 2 Stamens 2–3 times the number of the sepals, sometimes a few without anthers; filaments mostly more or less connate at the base; anthers 2-celled, opening lengthwise Petals 5, rarely 4, very rarely absent, hypogynous or subperigynous, imbricate, rarely contorted Sepals persistent, 4–5, free or connate to the middle, imbricate or rarely valvate, the dorsal one sometimes spurred Annual herbs or undershrubs, rarely arborescent; leaves alternate or opposite, mostly lobate, dissected or compound; stipules often paired Seeds pendulous, with thin or no (rarely copious) endosperm and mostly curved or folded embryo Fruit lobed; lobes 1-seeded, rarely more-seeded, often beaked, opening from the base upwards Ovary 3–5-lobed; ovules 1–2 in each cell, superposed, pendulous, rarely more than 2 Stamens 2–3 times the number of the sepals, sometimes a few without anthers; filaments mostly more or less connate at the base; anthers 2-celled, opening lengthwise Petals 5, rarely 4, very rarely absent, hypogynous or subperigynous, imbricate, rarely contorted Sepals persistent, 4–5, free or connate to the middle, imbricate or rarely valvate, the dorsal one sometimes spurred

Herbes , sous-arbustes, rarement arbustes.'Feuilles'souvent à 2 stipules, opposées ou alternes, généralement lobées, découpées ou composées, rarement entières.'Inflorescences'axillaires, 1-2-flores ou subombellées.'Fleurs'☿ actinomorphes ou zygomorphes; sépales 5, rarement 4, libres ou ± soudés, imbriqués ou rarement valvaires, le postérieur parfois pourvu d'un éperon; pétales 5, rarement 4, ordinairement égaux, hypogynes ou subpérigynes, imbriqués, rarement contortés; étamines en nombre double, rarement triple de celui des sépales, ± soudées à la base, rarement libres, parfois quelques-unes sans anthères ou avortées; anthères à 2 thèques, à déhiscence longitudinale; ovaires 3-5-loculaires, chaque loge à 1-∞ ovules superposés.'Fruits'composés d'une columelle centrale et de 3-5 méricarpes; méricarpes généralement terminés en un long bec, soudés à la columelle, se détachant à maturité de bas en haut, déhiscents ou indéhiscents.'Graines 1, rarement plusieurs par méricarpe, généralement à peu ou pas d'endosperme et à embryon courbé ou plié; testa membraneux ou subcoriace.\n\t\t\tFamille cosmopolite, principalement des régions tempérées et subtropicales ou des régions montagneuses des tropiques, groupant ± 650 espèces classées dans 11 genres. Au Congo belge, 3 genres, 8 espèces et 1 variété.

Fls mostly perfect, regular or (notably in Pelargonium) somewhat irregular, hypogynous, mostly 5-merous; pet distinct, mostly imbricate; extrastaminal nectary-glands usually alternate with the pet; stamens mostly 10 in 2 cycles, the outer (antepetalous) cycle often staminodial; carpels mostly 5, united to form a compound, plurilocular ovary with axile placentas and a single style with distinct stigmas; ovules mostly 2 per locule, superposed, epitropous, pendulous; in the tribe Geranieae (including our genera) the pistil with a prominent, elongating, gynobasic stylar column to which the fertile locular portion of the ovary appears to be attached in a lobed ring at the base, the fr with 5 1-seeded mericarps that usually separate elastically and acropetally from the persistent column, the mericarps often opening ventrally to discharge the seed; cotyledons 2; endosperm mostly scanty or none; mostly herbs with stipulate, lobed or compound or dissected lvs, the fls in cymose (often umbelliform) infls or solitary and axillary. 11/700, cosmop.

Sepals (4)5, free or connate at the base, imbricate or rarely valvate, the posterior (uppermost) one sometimes spurred (especially in Pelargonium) Petals 5 (rarely 8, 4, 2, or even 0 by reduction), free, mostly unequal, hypogynous or subperigynous, imbricate or rarely contorted Disk (extrastaminal or nectariferous) glands often present, alternating with the petals Stamens twice as many as the sepals, more rarely three times as many, some occasionally sterile; filaments free, usually ± connate at the base, sometimes connate in 5 bundles of 3 each; anthers versatile, introrse, 2-thecous, dehiscing longitudinally; pollen grains of different types, usually 3-colpate or 3-colporate Fruit a schizocarp or sometimes a 3-5(rarely 8)-lobed capsule; mericarps rostrate, breaking away from a persisting central column, usually 1-seeded (rarely 2-many-seeded) and dehiscing septicidally Ovary superior, syncarpous, (2)3-5(8)-locular; ovules 1-2 in each chamber, pendulous, anatropous, superposed; placentation axile; style present and adhering to the beak or absent; stigmas ligulate, clavate or filiform, rarely capitate Seeds smooth or minutely reticulate; embryo curved, rarely straight; endosperm scanty or absent Herbs, shrubs, or suffrutices, very rarely arborescent; stems fleshy Flowers hermaphrodite or very rarely dioecious, usually chasmogamous but occasionally cleistogamous, actinomorphic or zygomorphic, hypogynous, generally (4)5(8)-merous, heterochlamydous Inflorescence usually axillary, sometimes pseudumbellate, occasionally l-flowered, determinate, bracteate Leaves alternate or opposite, radical ones occasionally in basal rosettes, if opposite often unequal, usually stipulate and petiolate, serrate, crenate or dentate, lobed, dissected or compound, rarely entire Petals 5 (rarely 8, 4, 2, or even 0 by reduction), free, mostly unequal, hypogynous or subperigynous, imbricate or rarely contorted Disk (extrastaminal or nectariferous) glands often present, alternating with the petals Stamens twice as many as the sepals, more rarely three times as many, some occasionally sterile; filaments free, usually ± connate at the base, sometimes connate in 5 bundles of 3 each; anthers versatile, introrse, 2-thecous, dehiscing longitudinally; pollen grains of different types, usually 3-colpate or 3-colporate Fruit a schizocarp or sometimes a 3-5(rarely 8)-lobed capsule; mericarps rostrate, breaking away from a persisting central column, usually 1-seeded (rarely 2-many-seeded) and dehiscing septicidally Ovary superior, syncarpous, (2)3-5(8)-locular; ovules 1-2 in each chamber, pendulous, anatropous, superposed; placentation axile; style present and adhering to the beak or absent; stigmas ligulate, clavate or filiform, rarely capitate Seeds smooth or minutely reticulate; embryo curved, rarely straight; endosperm scanty or absent Herbs, shrubs, or suffrutices, very rarely arborescent; stems fleshy Flowers hermaphrodite or very rarely dioecious, usually chasmogamous but occasionally cleistogamous, actinomorphic or zygomorphic, hypogynous, generally (4)5(8)-merous, heterochlamydous Inflorescence usually axillary, sometimes pseudumbellate, occasionally l-flowered, determinate, bracteate Leaves alternate or opposite, radical ones occasionally in basal rosettes, if opposite often unequal, usually stipulate and petiolate, serrate, crenate or dentate, lobed, dissected or compound, rarely entire

Herbs, shrubs or suffrutices, very rarely arborescent Leaves alternate or opposite, if opposite often unequal, usually stipulate and petiolate, serrate, crenate or dentate, lobed or dissected or compound, rarely entire Inflorescence usually axillary, sometimes pseudumbellate (rarely 1-flowered) Flowers bisexual (or very rarely dioecious), actinomorphic or zygomorphic, hypogynous, 5 (rarely 4 or 8)-merous Ovary superior, syncarpous, 3–5 (rarely 2 or 8)-locular, usually lobed, usually rostrate (always in our area); style present or absent; stigmas ligulate, clavate or filiform, rarely capitate; loculi 1–2 ovulate; ovules pendulous, anatropous, superposed, placentation axile Petals free, usually imbricate, occasionally 4, 2 or 0 by reduction Sepals persistent, free or connate at the base, usually imbricate, the posterior one sometimes spurred Stamens usually obdiplostemonous, twice as many as the sepals, more rarely 3 times as many (some sometimes sterile); filaments usually 4: connate at the base, sometimes in 5 bundles of 3 each; anthers 2-thecous, dehiscing longitudinally, introrse Disk (or extrastaminal) glands often present Fruit a schizocarp or sometimes a 3–5 (rarely 8)-lobed capsule; lobes or mericarps usually 1-seeded and dehiscing septicidally; mericarps (cocci) rostrate, breaking away from a persistent central column Seeds smooth or minutely reticulate; embryo curved, rarely straight; endosperm scanty or absent Leaves alternate or opposite, if opposite often unequal, usually stipulate and petiolate, serrate, crenate or dentate, lobed or dissected or compound, rarely entire Inflorescence usually axillary, sometimes pseudumbellate (rarely 1-flowered) Flowers bisexual (or very rarely dioecious), actinomorphic or zygomorphic, hypogynous, 5 (rarely 4 or 8)-merous Ovary superior, syncarpous, 3–5 (rarely 2 or 8)-locular, usually lobed, usually rostrate (always in our area); style present or absent; stigmas ligulate, clavate or filiform, rarely capitate; loculi 1–2 ovulate; ovules pendulous, anatropous, superposed, placentation axile Petals free, usually imbricate, occasionally 4, 2 or 0 by reduction Sepals persistent, free or connate at the base, usually imbricate, the posterior one sometimes spurred Stamens usually obdiplostemonous, twice as many as the sepals, more rarely 3 times as many (some sometimes sterile); filaments usually 4: connate at the base, sometimes in 5 bundles of 3 each; anthers 2-thecous, dehiscing longitudinally, introrse Disk (or extrastaminal) glands often present Fruit a schizocarp or sometimes a 3–5 (rarely 8)-lobed capsule; lobes or mericarps usually 1-seeded and dehiscing septicidally; mericarps (cocci) rostrate, breaking away from a persistent central column Seeds smooth or minutely reticulate; embryo curved, rarely straight; endosperm scanty or absent