Family:
Oxalidaceae R.Br.

Biophytum DC.

This genus is accepted, and its native range is Tropics & Subtropics.

[FZ]

Oxalidaceae, A. W. Exell. Flora Zambesiaca 2:1. 1963

Morphology General Habit
Caulescent or acaulescent annual herbs or perennial herbs with woody rootstock.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves usually in rosettes at the apex of the stem or at ground-level on the rootstock, paripinnate (the abortive terminal leaflet represented by a bristle), ± sensitive, usually articulated just above the insertion; leaflets opposite or subopposite, very shortly petiolulate or subsessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers orange, yellow, white or pinkish, in pseudumbels with bracts forming an involucre.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 5, free, imbricate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 5, contorted, free at first but eventually coherent and falling off together in a mass.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 10, 5 longer and 5 shorter, all slightly connate at the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 5-locular, 5-lobed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule obovoid, subglobose, or ellipsoid, loculicidally dehiscent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds usually tuberculate.

[FTEA]

Oxalidaceae, Christine H. S. Kabuye  (East African Herbarium). Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial herbs, with a simple or branched stem, or stem very short and then plants with a thick woody rootstock
Morphology Leaves
Leaves fascicled or almost whorled at the top of the stem or branches, paripinnate (the rhachis ending in a bristle), exhibiting a certain degree of sensitivity to touch; petiole swollen and articulated near the base; leaflets many, opposite or subopposite, subsessile or shortly petiolulate, obliquely rectangular or orbicular, unequal-sided
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in pseudumbels, white, pink, yellow or orange; bracts small, persistent, forming an involucre at the base of the pedicels
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals strongly parallel-veined, the inner ones in relation to the pseudumbel narrower than the outer
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals contorted in bud, becoming shortly adherent above the free base, falling off together in a bunch
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 10, 5 outer short and 5 inner long; filaments shortly connate or almost free at the base
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary 5-lobed; styles notched or 2-fid at apex
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule ovoid or oblong, dehiscing loculicidally, the valves finally spreading
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds tuberculate, rugose or ribbed.

Native to:

Andaman Is., Angola, Assam, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Borneo, Brazil North, Burkina, Burundi, Cabinda, Cambodia, Cameroon, Caprivi Strip, Central African Repu, Chad, China South-Central, China Southeast, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, East Himalaya, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Hainan, Honduras, India, Ivory Coast, Jawa, Kenya, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaya, Mali, Maluku, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, New Guinea, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panamá, Peru, Philippines, Queensland, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Is., Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Uganda, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Himalaya, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe

Introduced into:

Trinidad-Tobago

Biophytum DC. appears in other Kew resources:

First published in Prodr. 1: 689 (1824)

Accepted by

  • Govaerts, R. (1996). World Checklist of Seed Plants 2(1, 2): 1-492. MIM, Deurne.

Literature

Flora of West Tropical Africa

  • F.T.A. 1: 297, under Oxalis Linn.
  • —R. Knuth in Engl. Pflanzenr. Oxalidac. 391–417 (1930)

Flora Zambesiaca

  • Prodr. 1: 689 (1824).

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Prodr. 1: 689 (1824)

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    Flora Zambesiaca
    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

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Neotropikey

    Milliken, W., Klitgard, B. and Baracat, A. (2009 onwards), Neotropikey - Interactive key and information resources for flowering plants of the Neotropics.
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0