Resedaceae Martinov

Resedaceae, P. Taylor. Flora Zambesiaca 1:1. 1960

Morphology General Habit

Annual or perennial herbs, rarely shrubs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate or fasciculate, simple to pinnatipartite, stipules small

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers in terminal spikes or racemes, bisexual or rarely unisexual, usually zygomorphic

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx persistent or deciduous, 4–8-partite

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals 4–7, free or slightly coherent, usually unequal, simple or laciniate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Nectaries

Disk usually present, often dilated on the adaxial side

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Stamens 3–40, perigynous or inserted on the disk, often declinate, free or monadelphous at the base, not covered by the petals in bud; anthers 2-thecous, introrse

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Ovules 1–?, inserted on parietal placentas or at the base of the ovary Ovary superior, sessile or stipitate, of 2–6 free or connate carpels

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a closed or open capsule, rarely baccate or of as many follicles as carpels

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds mostly numerous, reniform or hippocrepiform, without endosperm and with a curved embryo

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

Morphology General Habit

Annual, biennial or perennial herbs, less frequently small shrubs, indumentum of unicellular hairs often present.  Leaves spirally arranged, simple, usually lobed or pinnatifid, with minute stipules.  Inflorescences terminal, racemes or spikes, simple or compound .  Flowers zygomorphic or almost actinomorphic, usually bisexual, rarely unisexual, hypogynous or rarely perigynous; sepals 4-6(-8), valvate or almost imbricate, petals (1-)2-6(-8) or absent, valvate, white or yellow, appendaged or not (Oligomeris Cambess.), connate or more frequently free and clawed, usually fringed; stamens (3-)16-22, rarely, more base of filaments surrounded by disc (except Oligomeris) and fused with them, anthers bithecate, introrse, opening by longitudinal slits; oary syncarpous or rarely apocarpous, with (2-)3-4(-7) carpels, superior, unilocular, with parietal placentation, ovules many by carpel, rarely only one.  Fruits usually capsules, less frequently berry like or split into carpidia.

Diagnostic

Herbs Flowers zygomorphic, bisexual, hypogynous. Petals yellow, free, clawed and fringed. Ovary syncarpous. Ovules many per carpel. Fruit a capsule. Seeds arillate. Distinguishing characters (always present): Many of the most common family characters in Resedaceae are absent in Oligomeris, the only genus in the Neotropics.  So, although Resedaceae almost always have a conspicuous nectary and appendaged petals, they are absent in this genus. Other distinguishing characters include: leaves spirally arranged, simple; small stipules (sometimes not interpreted as stipules); racemose inflorescences; ovarysuperior, unilocular, with parietal placentation.

Note

Number of genera: One: Oligomeris Cambess . Notes on delimitation: Resedaceae are currently divided in to six genera (Caylusea A.St.-Hil., Ochradenus Delile, Oligomeris Cambess., Randonia Coss., Reseda L. and Sesamoides Ortega), but Reseda is not monophyletic, unless it includes all the others, except Caylusea and Sesamoides (Martín-Bravo et al. 2007).  The generic circumscription therefore needs revising. The family is included in Brassicales as a sister group to Gyrostemonaceae according to the APG III (2009).

Distribution

In addition to the native Oligomeris, ResedaodorataL. (garden mignonette), probably native in the North Africa, is cultivated in Neotropics as an ornamental. Resedaceae are centered on warm temperate subtropical areas, mainly around Mediterranean region, extending into tropics and the temperate zone. In the New World where only Oligomeris occurs species are found from South U.S.A. to North Mexico. The only native species (but see Martín-Bravo et al., 2009) in the Neotropics is Oligomerislinifolia (Vahl) J.F. Macbr., found in desert areas in Northern Mexico (Baja California, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Sonora).

Resedaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:1. 1954

Morphology General Habit

Annual or perennial herbs with watery juice, rarely woody

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, simple or pinnately divided; stipules small, gland-like

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers mostly zygomorphic, hermaphrodite or rarely unisexual, racemose or spicate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Galyx persistent, mostly zygomorphic, 4–7-lobed, imbricate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals small and inconspicuous or none, valvate, free or slightly coherent, often laciniate, sometimes with a scale at the base

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Nectaries

Disk present, often dilated on the adaxial side

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Stamens 3–40, perigynous or on the disk, not covered by the petals in bud; filaments free or united at the base; anthers 2-celled, introrse

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Ovary of 2–6 free or connate carpels, closed or gaping at the top, each carpel with a separate stigma; ovules numerous on parietal placentas or at the base of the ovary

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a gaping capsule or baccate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds numerous, kidney- or horse-shoe-shaped; endosperm absent; embryo curved or folded