Sesamum L.

Pedaliaceae, A. Bruce. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1953

Morphology General Habit

Annual or perennial, erect or procumbent herbs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves sessile or petiolate, entire, lobed or partite, often varying on the same plant

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers solitary in the leaf axils, shortly pedicellate, white, pink or purple, sometimes spotted within

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx persistent or deciduous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Pedicels usually short, with nectarial glands at the base

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla foxglove-like, obliquely campanulate, limb sub-bilabiate, lowest lobe the longest

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Filaments slender; anthers dorsifixed, cells parallel, connective gland-tipped

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc

Disc annular, regular

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary 2-celled, subcylindrical; cells divided almost to the apex by a false septum; ovules numerous, 1-seriate in each division

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule oblong or sub-obconical, grooved, beaked at the apex

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds numerous, obovate, compressed, winged or wingless, smooth or rugose.

Pedaliaceae, H. D. Ihlenfeldt. Flora Zambesiaca 8:3. 1988

Morphology General Habit

Annual or perennial, erect herbs, sometimes shrubs (not in the Flora Zambesiaca area) Leaves sessile or petiolate, lamina entire, lobed or digitate, often varying on the same plant.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers solitary in the leaf axils, shortly pedicellate with extra-floral nectaries (reduced flowers) at the base.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx persistent or deciduous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla white, pink or purple, obliquely campanulate, limb sub-bilabiate, lowest lobe the longest.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers

Anthers dorsifixed, thecae parallel, connective gland-tipped.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc

Disk annular, regular.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary bilocular, subcylindrical; loculi divided almost to the apex by a false septum; ovules numerous, uniseriate in each division.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits longitudinally dehiscent capsules, cultrate to narrowly oblong or obconical in lateral view, 4-sulcate, rostrate at the apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds numerous, obovate, compressed, winged or with a double, rarely single fringe, testa smooth or rugose.

Pedaliaceae, A. Bruce. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1953

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herb with trailing procumbent branches, very variable in leaf-shape, pubescence and indentation

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers solitary in the leaf-axils, with nectarial glands at the base of the pedicels

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla-tube obliquely campanulate, curved, limb sub-bilabiate, 5-lobed, upper and lateral lobes sub-equal, lowest lobe longest

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Anthers oblong, dorsifixed; filaments filiform, free from the corolla-tube

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary slightly compressed, 2-celled and 2-horned at the apex, cells completely divided by a false septum into 4 compartments each containing 2 ovules

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit woody, indehiscent, more or less disc-shaped with a raised 2-horned central portion on the upper surface

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 2 in each compartment.

Pedaliaceae, H. D. Ihlenfeldt. Flora Zambesiaca 8:3. 1988

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds dark brown to black, obovate to oblanceolate in outline, 2, (not in the Flora Zambesiaca area) 3, (not in the Flora Zambesiaca area) 4, or 5 seeds in each loculus.

Morphology General Habit

Herb with a persistent woody main root, from which 5–7 prostrate annual stems bearing numerous lateral branchlets arise; whole plant subglabrous to villous and covered with mucilage-glands.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves very variable in shape, indument and indentation, long-petiolate to subsessile; lamina narrowly to broadly ovate, pinnatipartite to pinnatilobed or deeply crenate to serrate, the inferior surface very densely covered with mucilage-glands.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers solitary in the leaf axils, pendent, on long erect pedicels carrying the flowers above the plane of the leaves; flowers white to pink or mauve, occasionally violet or yellow.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla tube obliquely campanulate, curved, slightly saccate at the base in the adaxial side; limb sub-bilabiate; the upper and lateral lobes subequal, the anterior lobe enlarged and with dark stripes or lines of dots running down into the tube.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 4, inserted near the base of the tube; staminodium absent; anthers of the shorter pair of stamens just included in the corolla tube, anthers of the longer pair of stamens just exserted from the corolla tube; thecae parallel.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary bilocular, false septa (not in the Flora Zambesiaca area) present or absent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit woody, indehiscent, longitudinally much compressed, therefore disk-like; the central portion distinctly or only indistinctly raised, with two erect conical spines from near the centre, and the fruit easily detachable (forming a "trample bur").

Pedaliaceae, A. Bruce. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1953

Morphology General Habit

Erect or decumbent herbs or small shrubs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves opposite or sub-opposite, petiolate, lanceolate, elliptic or obovate, entire, dentate or lobulate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers solitary in the upper leaf-axils

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx-lobes persistent, subequal or the posterior smaller

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla-tube shortly tubular at the very base then inflated and obliquely campanulate; limb sub-bilabiate; upper lip suberect, shortly 2-lobed; lower lip subhorizontal, 3-lobed with the central lobe the longest

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers

Anther-cells parallel; connective gland-tipped

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary subverrucose, 2–4 celled; cells divided by false septa into 4–8 compartments with 1–3 erect ovules in each compartment; disc circular, rather unequally thickened

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit indehiscent, ovoid to subglobose, beaked or not, hard and woody, densely covered with stout spines, divided into 4–8 compartments each containing 1–3 seeds

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds erect, oblong to elongate-ovoid, sometimes subtriquetrous at the base; testa smooth or wrinkled.

Pedaliaceae, A. Bruce. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1953

Morphology General Habit

Erect or procumbent, annual or perennial herbs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves membranous, petiolate, often polymorphic

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers solitary in the leaf-axils, shortly pedicellate, red, pink, lilac, mauve or yellow, with nectarial glands at the base of the pedicels (Fig. 6/6 & 7)

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx often persistent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla obliquely campanulate; limb sub-bilabiate; upper and lateral lobes short subequal, lowest lobe the longest

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Filaments slender; anther-cells oblong, parallel

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc

Disc annular, subequal

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary subcylindrical, slightly compressed, 2-celled; cells divided by a false septum almost to the apex; ovules numerous, 1-seriate in each compartment

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule oblong, compressed, rounded or truncate at the apex and horned at the angles (horns rarely suppressed), splitting loculicidally

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds numerous, compressed, obovate to suborbicular with a narrow margin and a smooth or wrinkled centre portion.

Pedaliaceae, H. D. Ihlenfeldt. Flora Zambesiaca 8:3. 1988

Morphology General Habit

Annual or short-lived perennial herbs, or (not in the Flora Zambesiaca area) small shrubs, erect, branched, sometimes semi-prostrate; leaves and stems more or less densely covered with mucilage-glands and hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves opposite, petiolate; lamina very variable, circular, ovate, cordate, reniform or lanceolate, hastate or tri-lobed, often polymorphic, margins nearly entire, crenate or serrate; (superior and inferior leaves often much smaller and simplified).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers shortly pedicellate, solitary in the leaf-axils, pendent, white, pink or lilac, the throat usually less intensively coloured.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla tube funnel-shaped, the base on the adaxial side slightly gibbous; limb sub-bilabiate; the upper and lateral lobes short and subequal, the anterior lobe enlarged, often yellow, with dark stripes or lines of dark spots running down into the throat.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens four, included, inserted near the base of the tube; staminodium absent; thecae parallel.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary bilocular, each loculus divided by a false septum almost to the apex, each compartment with numerous ovules, uniseriate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a loculicidally dehiscent capsule, laterally compressed, obtuse or truncate at the apex, with two lateral horns (sometimes not very conspicuous) at the angles of the apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds numerous, spreading or ascending, obovate in outline, usually black when ripe.