The World Flora Online

Herbs or small shrubs, rarely arborescent. Stipules absent. Leaves spirally alternate, usually in a basal rosette, rarely opposite or whorled, simple; leaf blade veins (1 or)3-11, arcuate. Inflorescences spikes, rarely racemes or 1-flowered, pedunculate, each flower with 1 bract. Flowers small, protogynous, bisexual, rarely polygamous or unisexual. Calyx usually 4-parted, persistent, segments imbricate. Corolla scarious or membranous, gamopetalous, actinomorphic or rarely zygomorphic, (3 or)4-lobed; lobes imbricate. Stamens (1 or 2 or)4, inserted on corolla tube, alternate with lobes; anthers free, versatile, with an apical appendage, thecae 2 and parallel. Pistil consisting of 2 carpels; ovary superior, (1 or)2-loculed, axile or rarely basal; style 1, filiform, mostly longitudinally stigmatic. Fruit a pyxis, rarely an indehiscent capsule or nutlet, with 1 to numerous seeds. Seeds minute; cotyledons narrow; endosperm fleshy.

Ovules 1 or more in each cell, axile or basal Ovary superior, 1-4-celled; style simple Stamens usually 4, inserted on the corolla-tube and alternate with the lobes or hypogynous; anthers 2-celled, opening lengthwise Corolla gamopetalous, scarious, 3-4-lobed, lobes imbricate Seeds peltately attached, with fleshy endosperm and straight or curved embryo Fruit a circumscissile capsule or nut Herbs Flowers usually hermaphrodite, spicate, actinomorphic Leaves all radical or alternate or opposite, simple, sometimes much reduced Calyx herbaceous Ovary superior, 1-4-celled; style simple Stamens usually 4, inserted on the corolla-tube and alternate with the lobes or hypogynous; anthers 2-celled, opening lengthwise Corolla gamopetalous, scarious, 3-4-lobed, lobes imbricate Seeds peltately attached, with fleshy endosperm and straight or curved embryo Fruit a circumscissile capsule or nut Herbs Flowers usually hermaphrodite, spicate, actinomorphic Leaves all radical or alternate or opposite, simple, sometimes much reduced Calyx herbaceous

Fls regular (or the cal sometimes irregular), perfect or seldom unisexual, sympetalous, ordinarily 4- merous as to the cal, cor, and stamens, or the stamens seldom only 1–3; cor scarious, persistent, not large; stamens epipetalous, alternate with the cor-lobes; ovary superior, bilocular (or 4-locellar) with axile placentation, or unilocular and with a single basal ovule; style terminal, with a usually 2-lobed stigma; fr a circumscissile capsule, or an achene or small nut; embryo straight, dicotyledonous, ± spathulate; endosperm well developed; herbs; lvs simple, ± parallel-veined (the blade phyllodial), usually all basal in a close spiral, in a few spp. cauline and opposite. Only Plantago, Littorella, and Bougueria (1).

Seeds peltately attached, often sticky when wet; embryo straight, rarely curved, placed in the middle of the fleshy endosperm Flowers small, hermaphrodite, or in one small genus unisexual, regular, sessile in the bract-axils, forming axillary spikes or capitate racemes Calyx herbaceous, 4-lobed, the lobes ± free or sometimes the lower pair ± united Leaves mostly spirally arranged and all radical, less often cauline, alternate or opposite, simple, often sheathing at the base, sometimes reduced, exstipulate Ovary superior, 1-4-locular; style long, simple, often exserted; ovules l-? in each locule, axile or basal Fruit a membranous circumscissile capsule or a 1-seeded bony nut Corolla gamopetalous, scarious, 3-4-lobed, the lobes imbricate Stamens (l-2-)4, inserted in the corolla-tube and alternating with the lobes, rarely hypogynous; filaments usually long; anthers versatile, 2-thecous, the thecae opening lengthwise Animal or perennial, terrestrial or, in one small genus, aquatic herbs Flowers small, hermaphrodite, or in one small genus unisexual, regular, sessile in the bract-axils, forming axillary spikes or capitate racemes Calyx herbaceous, 4-lobed, the lobes ± free or sometimes the lower pair ± united Leaves mostly spirally arranged and all radical, less often cauline, alternate or opposite, simple, often sheathing at the base, sometimes reduced, exstipulate Ovary superior, 1-4-locular; style long, simple, often exserted; ovules l-? in each locule, axile or basal Fruit a membranous circumscissile capsule or a 1-seeded bony nut Corolla gamopetalous, scarious, 3-4-lobed, the lobes imbricate Stamens (l-2-)4, inserted in the corolla-tube and alternating with the lobes, rarely hypogynous; filaments usually long; anthers versatile, 2-thecous, the thecae opening lengthwise Animal or perennial, terrestrial or, in one small genus, aquatic herbs

Plantes herbacées, annuelles ou vivaces.'Feuilles'simples, très variables, habituellement en rosettes basilaires, beaucoup plus rarement caulinaires, alternes ou opposées, sans stipules. Inflorescences 1 à ± nombreuses, denses, en épis ou en capitules, très rarement fleurs solitaires; bractées persistantes; bractéoles absentes.'Fleurs'petites, actinomorphes à faiblement zygomorphes, ☿, rarement ♀ par avortement des étamines, 4-mères; calice à sépales persistants, imbriqués, ± libres; corolle gamopétale, tubuleuse, scarieuse, à lobes imbriqués, presque incolores; étamines insérées dans la partie basale du tube de la corolle et alternant avec les lobes; filets longs et libres; anthères versatiles, à déhiscence longitudinale; ovaire supère, 1-4-loculaire; style simple; stigmate simple, long; ovules semi-anatropes, 1 à ∞ par loge, à placentation axile ou basale.'Fruits': pyxides ou noix.'Graines 1 à plusieurs, à albumen abondant et charnu, à embryon droit.\n\t\t\tFamille groupant 3 genres et environ 265 espèces réparties surtout dans les régions tempérées et subtempérées. Pour la Flore : 1 genre et 3 espèces.

Ovary superior, 1–4-locular, with 1-many ovules in each locule, axile or basal; style single, long, usually filiform, simple, often exserted Stamens (1–2) 4, inserted in the corolla tube and alternating with the leaves, rarely hypogynous, usually exserted; filaments usually long, filiform; anthers versatile, 2-thecous, the thecae dehiscing longitudinally Seeds peltately attached, often mucilaginous when wet, 1-many; embryo straight, rarely curved, enclosed by the fleshy endosperm Fruit a capsule, membranous, circumscissile or 1-seeded, hard, indehiscent Corolla gamopetalous, scarious, 3–4 lobed; tube ampulliform or cylindric, lobes imbricate, equal, spreading Flowers small, hermaphrodite or unisexual (not in Flora Zambesiaca area), usually 4-merous, actinomorphic or rarely so, sessile, bracteate Calyx herbaceous, persistent, 4-lobed, the lobes more or less free or sometimes the lower pair more or less united Leaves mostly spirally arranged and all radical, less often cauline and spiral, alternate or opposite, simple, often sheathing at the base, sometimes reduced, exstipulate Inflorescence usually a spike, rarely capitate racemes, terminating a scape. Each flower subtended by a bract Annual or perennial, terrestrial or aquatic (not in Flora Zambesiaca area) herbs Stamens (1–2) 4, inserted in the corolla tube and alternating with the leaves, rarely hypogynous, usually exserted; filaments usually long, filiform; anthers versatile, 2-thecous, the thecae dehiscing longitudinally Seeds peltately attached, often mucilaginous when wet, 1-many; embryo straight, rarely curved, enclosed by the fleshy endosperm Fruit a capsule, membranous, circumscissile or 1-seeded, hard, indehiscent Corolla gamopetalous, scarious, 3–4 lobed; tube ampulliform or cylindric, lobes imbricate, equal, spreading Flowers small, hermaphrodite or unisexual (not in Flora Zambesiaca area), usually 4-merous, actinomorphic or rarely so, sessile, bracteate Calyx herbaceous, persistent, 4-lobed, the lobes more or less free or sometimes the lower pair more or less united Leaves mostly spirally arranged and all radical, less often cauline and spiral, alternate or opposite, simple, often sheathing at the base, sometimes reduced, exstipulate Inflorescence usually a spike, rarely capitate racemes, terminating a scape. Each flower subtended by a bract Annual or perennial, terrestrial or aquatic (not in Flora Zambesiaca area) herbs