Nierembergia Ruiz & Pav.

Flora Zambesiaca. Vol. 8, Part 4. Solanaceae. Gonçalves AE. 2005

Morphology General

Herbs or sometimes small shrubs, prostrate to erect, occasionally forming mats, ± glabrous to densely clothed with eglandular and also glandular, sometimes viscid hairs; rhizomatous structures sometimes present

Morphology Branches

Branches herbaceous to ± woody

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers often showy, actinomorphic or slightly zygomorphic Flowers often showy, actinomorphic or slightly zygomorphic.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx tubular to campanulate, ± curved, 10-ribbed, ± deeply 5-lobed; lobes slightly unequal, narrow, ± linear or lanceolate, acuminate, spreading, with valvate aestivation; in fruit somewhat enlarged, enclosing it or not Calyx tubular to campanulate, ± curved, 10-ribbed, ± deeply 5-lobed; lobes slightly unequal, narrow, ± linear or lanceolate, acuminate, spreading, with valvate aestivation; in fruit somewhat enlarged, enclosing it or not.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla white with a yellow or purple centre, or variously coloured from pink to purple or violet, sometimes bluish, infundibuliform or salviform; tube ± long, slender, nearly or quite straight, the mouth narrow; limb abruptly expanded, broadly campanulate, saucer-shaped or funnel-shaped, often plicate, spreading, slightly unequally 5-lobed; lobes short, broad, obtuse or rounded, with cochlear aestivation Corolla white with a yellow or purple centre, or variously coloured from pink to purple or violet, sometimes bluish, infundibuliform or salviform; tube ± long, slender, nearly or quite straight, the mouth narrow; limb abruptly expanded, broadly campanulate, saucer-shaped or funnel-shaped, often plicate, spreading, slightly unequally 5-lobed; lobes short, broad, obtuse or rounded, with cochlear aestivation.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 5, ± equal or unequal, often the uppermost shorter than the other 4 or didynamous, sometimes 4 stamens and 1 staminode, inserted in the corolla tube usually in the distal part, sometimes on the throat, exserted; filaments ± connate at the base forming a tube surrounding the style, free upwards, slender but somewhat expanded towards the base, curved at the apex, ± glabrous or puberulous, sometimes glandular; anthers all fertile or elsewhere one of them occasionally sterile, variously sized, almost circular, elliptic or ovate in outline, straight or slightly curved, embraced by the stigma in bud, attached on the lower part of the back, extrorse, the thecae separated from each other one-third or more of their length at the lower end, dehiscing by longitudinal slits

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc

Disk usually fleshy, cupular or annular, adnate to and surrounding the basal part of the ovary, entire or crenulate, occasionally lacking Disk usually fleshy, cupular or annular, adnate to and surrounding the basal part of the ovary, entire or crenulate, occasionally lacking.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary stalked to sessile, 2-locular; ovules numerous in each locule on an enlarged placenta adnate to the dorsal line of the dissepiment, anatropous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style slender.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma

Stigma reniform, usually enlarged into a laminar, 2-lamellate or crescent-shaped process between or surmounting and usually surrounding the anthers, exserted

Distribution

A genus allied to Petunia, with 23 species distributed in warm and temperate regions of both hemispheres, mostly centred in South America from Colombia southwards to Chile and Argentina (reaching northern Patagonia), but mainly in Argentina. One species,

Morphology General Habit

Herbs or sometimes small shrubs, prostrate to erect, occasionally forming mats, ± glabrous to densely clothed with eglandular and also glandular, sometimes viscid hairs; rhizomatous structures sometimes present.

Morphology Stem

Branches herbaceous to ± woody.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves solitary, alternate, occasionally in pairs and appearing opposite, sessile to long-petiolate, entire; minor leaves absent. Leaves solitary, alternate, occasionally in pairs and appearing opposite, sessile to long-petiolate, entire; minor leaves absent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences consisting of one or occasionally several flowers in terminal or lateral, subpaniculiform, racemiform or subspiciform cymes; pedicels slender, articulated at the base; bracts single, foliaceous. Inflorescences consisting of one or occasionally several flowers in terminal or lateral, subpaniculiform, racemiform or subspiciform cymes; pedicels slender, articulated at the base; bracts single, foliaceous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Stamens 5, ± equal or unequal, often the uppermost shorter than the other 4 or didynamous, sometimes 4 stamens and 1 staminode, inserted in the corolla tube usually in the distal part, sometimes on the throat, exserted; filaments ± connate at the base forming a tube surrounding the style, free upwards, slender but somewhat expanded towards the base, curved at the apex, ± glabrous or puberulous, sometimes glandular; anthers all fertile or elsewhere one of them occasionally sterile, variously sized, almost circular, elliptic or ovate in outline, straight or slightly curved, embraced by the stigma in bud, attached on the lower part of the back, extrorse, the thecae separated from each other one-third or more of their length at the lower end, dehiscing by longitudinal slits.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary stalked to sessile, 2-locular; ovules numerous in each locule on an enlarged placenta adnate to the dorsal line of the dissepiment, anatropous; style slender; stigma reniform, usually enlarged into a laminar, 2-lamellate or crescent-shaped process between or surmounting and usually surrounding the anthers, exserted.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit capsular, ovoid, membranous, 2-locular, with a central placenta ultimately detaching at the top, apically dehiscing by 2 septicidal slits, the 2 dry valves often 2-fid. Fruit capsular, ovoid, membranous, 2-locular, with a central placenta ultimately detaching at the top, apically dehiscing by 2 septicidal slits, the 2 dry valves often 2-fid

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds numerous, minute, scarcely compressed, 3-gonous, ovate or ± elliptic in outline; testa somewhat leathery; embryo subterete, straight or slightly curved, in the dorsal part of the fleshy endosperm; cotyledons usually broad, subcompressed. Seeds numerous, minute, scarcely compressed, 3-gonous, ovate or ± elliptic in outline; testa somewhat leathery; embryo subterete, straight or slightly curved, in the dorsal part of the fleshy endosperm; cotyledons usually broad, subcompressed