Amaranthaceae

Pandiaka Benth. & Hook.f.

First published in Gen. Pl. 3: 35 (1880)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Tropical Africa to Namibia.

Descriptions

Amaranthaceae, C. C. Townsend. Flora Zambesiaca 9:1. 1988

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial herbs with opposite, petiolate or sessile, entire leaves, rootstock slender to tuberous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence spicate to capitate, elongating later or not, flowers spreading or in one species becoming deflexed after flowering.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers solitary in the bracts, hermaphrodite.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Perianth segments 5, feebly to strongly 1–3 (5)-nerved, lanceolate to narrowly oblong, usually hairy (rarely glabrous), more or less mucronate to aristate with the excurrent nerve. Perianth falling with the ripe seed, accompanied by the bracteoles or not; bracts persistent, spreading or rarely deflexed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracteoles
Bracteoles 2, c. half the length of the perianth or more, the midrib excurrent in a short, glabrous and pungent or longer, flexuose and pilose arista, lamina firm, chartaceous or horny.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium
Stamens 5, filaments filiform, monadelphous below, alternating with mostly quadrate pseudostaminodes, these glabrous to pilose, simple or with a highly developed, fimbriate dorsal scale; anthers bilocular.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style slender, stigma small, truncate-capitate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary with a solitary pendulous ovule, fruiting wall very thin; apex at maturity firm, with a transverse crest passing through the base of the style, often forming a hump at each end where it meets the periphery, rarely without such a crest but with a circumferential rim, or almost flat.
[FZ]

Amaranthaceae, C.C. Townsend. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1985

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial herbs with opposite, petiolate or sessile, entire leaves; rootstock slender to tuberous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence spicate to capitate, elongating later or not, flowers spreading or in one species becoming deflexed after flowering
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers solitary in the bracts, hermaphrodite
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracteoles
Bracteoles 2, the midrib excurrent in a short, glabrous and pungent or longer, flexuose and pilose arista, lamina firm, chartaceous or horny, ± half the length of the perianth or more
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth
Perianth-segments 5, feebly to strongly 1–3(–5)-nerved, lanceolate to narrowly oblong, usually hairy (rarely glabrous), ± mucronate to aristate with the excurrent nerve Perianth falling with the ripe capsule, accompanied by the bracteoles or not; bracts persistent, spreading or rarely deflexed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 5; filaments filiform, monadelphous below, alternating with mostly quadrate pseudostaminodes, these glabrous to pilose, simple or with a highly developed, fimbriate dorsal scale; anthers bilocular
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary with a solitary pendulous ovule, fruiting wall very thin; apex at maturity firm, with a transverse crest passing through the base of the style, often forming a hump at each end where it meets the periphery, rarely without such a crest but with a circumferential rim or almost flat; style slender; stigma small, truncate-capitate
[FTEA]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial herbs with opposite, entire leaves, rootstock slender to tuberous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence spicate to capitate, elongating later or not, bracteate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers all fertile, solitary in the axils of the bracts, bibracteolate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Tepal
Tepals 5, feebly to strongly 1–3(–5)-nerved, rarely glabrous, ± mucronate to aristate with the excurrent midrib, all ± similar
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 5, the filaments alternating with mostly quadrate pseudostaminodes which are glabrous to pilose and with or without a fimbriate dorsal scale
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 1-ovulate, the apex with a transverse ridge or rarely a circumferential rim
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style slender, stigma capitate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit an irregularly rupturing capsule with a firm apex.
Distribution
About 12 species, confined to tropical Africa.
[FSOM]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0