Sericorema Lopr.

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

Morphology General Habit

Much-branched erect, annual or perennial herbs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves entire, alternate or occasionally opposite, semiterete from the more or less closely revolute margins, linear.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers in elongate, bracteate, spike-like thyrses formed of more or less distant, bibracteolate partial inflorescences consisting of a single fertile flower subtended by two modified sterile flowers to which a further fertile flower with a solitary sterile flower, and sometimes a further triad, may be added; sterile flowers consisting of a strap-shaped dentate process furnished on the abaxial surface with long, fine, smooth, unicellular hairs, these processes accrescent to become spinous-margined and indurate in fruit, fused with the indurate base of the partial inflorescence so that the latter falls as a unit complete with bracteoles.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts

Bracts persistent on the inflorescence axis.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth

Perianth segments narrow, 3-nerved, long- or short-aristate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Stamens 5; filaments filiform, delicate, fused at the base only, without intermediate pseudostaminodes; anthers narrow, bilocular, each theca with an awn-like tail at each end.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary uniovulate, somewhat compressed, delicate below; style very short, stigma with a tuft of penicillate hairs.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule scarcely compressed, with a firm apex, delicate below; seed with copious endosperm.