The World Flora Online

Herbs, shrubs, trees, or sometimes spiny vines. Leaves opposite, alternate, or ± whorled; stipules absent; petiole usually present, well defined; leaf blade simple, herbaceous or slightly fleshy, margin entire. Inflorescences mostly terminal, less often axillary, of cymes, umbels, or verticils, sometimes 1-flowered or fasciculate, often grouped into panicles; bracts often inconspicuous, sometimes forming calyxlike involucre, or large and brightly colored. Flowers bisexual, rarely unisexual or polygamous, actinomorphic. Perianth constricted beyond the ovary, base persistent, closely enclosing ovary which appears inferior, limb petaloid beyond constriction, tubular, funnelform, or campanulate, apex 5-10-lobed, lobes plicate or valvate in bud, persistent or caducous. Disk absent. Stamens (1-)3-5(-many), hypogynous, free or connate at base, involute in bud; anthers 2-loculed, dehiscence longitudinal. Ovary superior, 1-loculed; ovule 1. Style 1; stigma globose. Fruit an achenelike anthocarp enclosed by persistent perianth, ribbed or winged, often glandular. Seed 1; endosperm present; embryo straight or curved.

Seeds with copious or scanty endosperm and straight or curved embryo Herbs, shrubs or trees Leaves alternate or opposite, simple; stipules absent Petals absent Stamens 1 to many, hypogynous, free or connate at the base, involute in bud; anthers 2-celled, opening lengthwise Flowers actinomorphic, hermaphrodite or unisexual, usually cymose, sometimes surrounded by brightly coloured bracts, the latter occasionally simulating a calyx Calyx tubular, often petaloid, valvate or folded in the bud Ovary superior, 1-celled; style slender; ovule solitary, erect and inverted Fruit indehiscent, enclosed in the persistent base of the calyx, often glandular Herbs, shrubs or trees Leaves alternate or opposite, simple; stipules absent Petals absent Stamens 1 to many, hypogynous, free or connate at the base, involute in bud; anthers 2-celled, opening lengthwise Flowers actinomorphic, hermaphrodite or unisexual, usually cymose, sometimes surrounded by brightly coloured bracts, the latter occasionally simulating a calyx Calyx tubular, often petaloid, valvate or folded in the bud Ovary superior, 1-celled; style slender; ovule solitary, erect and inverted Fruit indehiscent, enclosed in the persistent base of the calyx, often glandular

Plantes'herbacées, parfois grimpantes, plus rarement arbustes ou arbres.'Tiges'souvent renflées aux nœuds, parfois épineuses, à ramifications dicho- ou trichotomiques.'Feuilles'opposées, alternes ou verti-cillées, exstipulées, sessiles ou pétiolées, simples, généralement entières, parfois dentées ou lobées, contenant des raphides.'Inflorescences'terminales ou axillaires, en panicules, cymes corymbiformes, grappes, épis, ombelles ou capitules, ou fleurs solitaires.'Fleurs'☿ou ♂♀ et, dans ce dernier cas, plantes généralement dioïques avec des vestiges d'organes avortés, généralement régulières, parfois légèrement irrégulières, souvent entourées de bractées libres ou soudées et formant involucre persistant ou caduc, vert ou coloré; périgone simple, herbacé ou péta-loïde, 5-mère et à tépales soudés, campanulé ou infundibuliforme, souvent articulé, entièrement caduc ou plus souvent à partie inférieure persistante et accrescente autour du fruit en anthocarpe; préfloraison valvaire ou indupliquée-valvaire; étamines 1-30, en nombre variable dans une même espèce parfois, hypogynes, rarement périgynes; filets filiformes, inégaux, généralement soudés en une cupule à la base; anthères dorsifixes près de la base, à déhiscence latérale; ovaire 1-carpellaire, 1-loculaire, 1-ovulé, sessile ou stipité; style filiforme; stigmate capité, pelté ou fimbrié, rarement unilatéral; ovule basai, campylotrope ou anatrope, à micropyle infère et externe.'Anthocarpe'indéhiscent, côtelé, sillonné ou ailé, portant souvent des glandes visqueuses, entourant étroitement le fruit.'Fruit': caryopse ou akène à péricarpe membraneux, coriace ou juteux.'Graine dressée, à testa crustacé, hyalin, souvent soudé à l'endocarpe; périsperme ± développé, généralement farineux ou charnu; embryon droit ou courbé, à cotylédons souvent inégaux; radicule infère.\n\t\t\tTrente genres et ± 300 espèces surtout américaines. Tiges pourvues de faisceaux conducteurs dans la moelle. Présence de raphides.

Fls perfect (in ours) or unisexual, hypogynous; cor none; cal gamosepalous, campanulate or funnelform, often corolloid, its base closely investing the ovary; stamens 1–many (1–5 in ours); filaments slender, exsert, usually unequal; gynoecium a single carpel with a long, slender style and a single basal ovule; fr a utricle or achene or nut, commonly enclosed in the persistent (and often indurated) base of the cal-tube, the collective structure called an anthocarp; seed with large, dicotyledonous, straight or more often curved, peripheral embryo and abundant or scanty perisperm; herbs or sometimes woody plants, commonly with anomalous secondary growth, producing betalains but not anthocyanins; lvs opposite or rarely alternate, simple, entire, exstipulate; 1–several fls often enclosed by a cal-like involucre, the cor-like cal and cal-like involucre easily mistaken for a fl with cal and cor. 30/300.

SELECTED REFERENCES

Bogle, A. L. 1974. The genera of Nyctaginaceae in the southeastern United States. J. Arnold Arbor. 55: 1-37. Heimerl, A. 1934c. Nyctaginaceae. In: H. G. A. Engler et al., eds. 1924+. Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien..., ed. 2. 26+ vols. Leipzig and Berlin. Vol. 16c, pp. 86-134. Levin, R. A. 2000. Phylogenetic relationships within Nyctaginaceae tribe Nyctagineae: Evidence from nuclear and chloroplast genomes. Syst. Bot. 25: 738-750. Reed, C. F. 1969. Nyctaginaceae. In: C. L. Lundell. 1942-1969. Flora of Texas. 3 vols. in parts. Dallas and Renner, Tex. Vol. 2, pp. 151-220. Standley, P. C. 1909. The Allioniaceae of the United States, with notes on Mexican species. Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 12: 303-389. Standley, P. C. 1918. Allioniaceae. In: N. L. Britton et al., eds. 1905+. North American Flora.... 47+ vols. New York. Vol. 21, pp. 171-254.

Herbs, shrubs [or trees], annual or perennial. Roots fibrous to fleshy or tuberous. Stems pro-cumbent to erect, sometimes clambering through other plants. Leaves opposite [rarely alternate], exstipulate, sessile or petiolate, pairs equal or unequal; blade linear to ovate or ± round, thin to thick and fleshy or succulent, plane or undulate, base ± symmetric to strongly unequal, margins entire or sinuate, glabrous or pubescent. Inflorescences terminal or lateral in leaf axils, usually cymose or racemose, open or congested, bracteate; bracts distinct or connate, sometimes forming an involucre containing 1-80 flowers, when containing only 1 flower, calyxlike, sometimes brightly colored. Flowers unisexual or bisexual, sometimes cleistogamous, incomplete, showy or inconspicuous; calyx usually 5 connate sepals, varying from small and not showy to large, notably petaloid, and colorful, corollalike; corolla absent; stamens commonly as many as calyx lobes and alternate with them, varying 1-18[-30]; filaments connate basally [or distinct]; gynoecium 1-carpellate; styles filiform; stigmas capitate, fusiform to linear, or ending in tufts of hairs; ovule 1; placentation basal. Fruits aerial (hypogeous in Okenia), accessory, radially symmetric or dorsiventrally compressed anthocarps, consisting of achene or utricle enclosed in fleshy, leathery, or woody base of calyx, sides longitudinally 5- or 10-ribbed or not ribbed, glandular or not, smooth, wrinkled, or warty, glabrous or pubescent; ribs, when present, varying from fine and linear to broad and obtuse ridges, or thick to thin wings, or rows of curved gland-tipped teeth. Seed 1; seed coat membranaceous; embryo straight or curved; cotyledons foliaceous; endosperm scanty; perisperm abundant. x = 9 or 10?

Inflorescences axillary or terminal, cymose, umbellate, glomerulate, verticillate or thyrsoid Flowers hermaphrodite or unisexual, actinomorphic, bracteate; bracts free or connate into an involucre, sometimes brightly coloured Trees, shrubs, herbs or climbers, sometimes spiny Leaves opposite, alternate or in fascicles, simple, exstipulate, usually petiolate Seed 1; endosperm present or absent; embryo straight or curved Perianth gamophyllous, lower part persistent, usually green, upper part often petaloid and coloured, sometimes caducous after anthesis Fruit indehiscent, usually an anthocarp formed by the persistent accrescent basal part of the perianth enclosing an achene, sometimes winged or variously ribbed, sometimes glandular Ovary superior, unilocular, sessile or stipitate; ovule 1, basal, erect; style 1, slender, more or less equal to or longer than stamens; stigma linear, capitate, peltate or penicillate Stamens 1-many, hypogynous; filaments free or connate at base, subequal to unequal; anthers dithecous, dehiscing longitudinally Flowers hermaphrodite or unisexual, actinomorphic, bracteate; bracts free or connate into an involucre, sometimes brightly coloured Trees, shrubs, herbs or climbers, sometimes spiny Leaves opposite, alternate or in fascicles, simple, exstipulate, usually petiolate Seed 1; endosperm present or absent; embryo straight or curved Perianth gamophyllous, lower part persistent, usually green, upper part often petaloid and coloured, sometimes caducous after anthesis Fruit indehiscent, usually an anthocarp formed by the persistent accrescent basal part of the perianth enclosing an achene, sometimes winged or variously ribbed, sometimes glandular Ovary superior, unilocular, sessile or stipitate; ovule 1, basal, erect; style 1, slender, more or less equal to or longer than stamens; stigma linear, capitate, peltate or penicillate Stamens 1-many, hypogynous; filaments free or connate at base, subequal to unequal; anthers dithecous, dehiscing longitudinally