Vahliaceae Dandy

First published in Fam. Fl. Pl., Dicot., ed. 2 461. 1959 [4 Jun 1959] (1959)
This family is accepted

Descriptions

Vahliaceae, M. Bridson. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1975

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial herbs or subshrubs, glabrous or pubescent with multicellular often gland-tipped hairs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite, sessile to subsessile, simple, ovate to linear, midrib apparent but lateral nerves obscure, entire, exstipulate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences axillary, erect, sessile to pedunculate, bearing paired sessile to pedicellate flowers
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers hermaphrodite, regular
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-tube adnate to the ovary, campanulate to subglobose, often distinctly 5-veined; lobes 5, valvate, persistent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 5, valvate, alternate with calyx-lobes, shorter than or just exceeding the calyx-lobes, lanceolate to round, entire to crenate, or irregularly dentate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium
Stamens 5, alternate with the petals, inserted on the margin of an epigynous disc; filaments free, subulate, with or without a widened membranous area or scale-like appendage at the base; anthers 2-thecous, dehiscing longitudinally, introrse, dorsifixed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium
Ovary inferior, 1-locular; styles 2 (or ?3), spreading, shorter than or exceeding the calyx-lobes, bases separate to the disc or shortly above it; stigmas capitellate; ovules numerous, attached to 2 thick pendulous flattened rounded placentas hanging from the apex of the locule
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a capsule, subglobose or obovoid, dehiscing by 2(–?3) valves between the style-bases, all floral parts (except anthers) persistent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds numerous, oblong, minute
[FTEA]

Ghazanfar, S. A., Edmondson, J. R. (Eds). (2013). Flora of Iraq, Volume 5, Part 2: Lythraceae to Campanulaceae. Kew Publishing

Morphology General Habit
Erect annual herbs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite, entire, linear to ovate, exstipulate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in axillary pairs, pedicellate or subsessile, actinomorphic, hermaphrodite
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 5, joined below, valvate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla with 5 free petals, equalling or shorter than calyx, imbricate or valvate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 5, alternating with petals, inserted on margin of an epigynous disk; filaments free, filiform; anthers longitudinally dehiscent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Receptacle concave, adnate to ovary
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary inferior, unilocular, 2(or 3)-carpellate; styles 2 or 3, long or short, stigmas capitate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary Ovules
Ovules numerous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a subglobose or ovoid 2-valved capsule, dehiscing from the apex
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds numerous, minute, endospermic.
Distribution
A single genus with eight species distributed from SW Asia to Pakistan and India, and in tropical and S Africa. This family had previously been placed in the Order Saxifragales, in family Saxifragaceae, but is currently left unplaced as to order in the asterids clade.
[FIQ]

Vahliaceae, D. M. Bridson. Flora Zambesiaca 4. 1978

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial herbs or subshrubs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite, simple, entire, exstipulate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in axillary pairs, hermaphrodite, regular
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-tube campanulate, adnate to ovary; lobes 5, valvate, persistent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 5, valvate, alternate with calyx-lobes
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium
Stamens 5, alternate with petals, inserted on margin of epigynous disk; filaments free, subulate; anthers 2-thecous, dehiscing longitudinally, introrse, dorsifixed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium
Ovary inferior, 1-locular; styles 2 (or 3?), stigmata capitellate; ovules numerous, attached to 2 thick, pendulous, flattened, rounded placentas hanging from the apex of the loculus
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a capsule, dehiscing by sutures between the style bases into 2(3?) valves
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds numerous, oblong, minute
[FZ]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Iraq

    • Ghazanfar, S. A., Edmondson, J. R. (Eds). (2013-2019). Flora of Iraq, Volumes 5.1, 5.2 and 6.0. Kew Publishing
    • 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 Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0