Goodeniaceae R.Br.

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

Small trees or spreading shrubs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves simple, alternate, spiraling, petiolate, fleshy, glabrescent, margin entire, venation pinnate, midrib prominent; exstipulate, axillary hairs long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence axillary dichasia or cyme, pedunculate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers hermaphroditic, zygomorphic, 5- merous, bracteolate; calyx synsepalous, cup-like, persistent; corolla tubular, with adaxial deep split (exposing indusium), fan-like, winged (appearing trilobed), hirsute within; stamens 5, opposite sepals, free of corolla, anthers dehisce in bud, introrse; gynoecium syncarpous, ovary inferior, carpels 2, locules 2, style with hairy pollen -collecting indusium and stylar cup, stigma bilobed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a drupe, hard, indehiscent with thick endocarp and fleshy or corky mesocarp

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed 1 per locule .

Diagnostic

Distinguishing characters (always present): Members of the Neotropical Goodeniaceae are readily distinguished by an unique floral character known as the 'indusium' which is a cup-shaped specialized stylar outgrowth below the apex of the style (that attracted the interest of Charles Darwin), and which acts as a pollen presenter. The fan-shaped corolla and marginal membranaceous wings making each lobe appear trilobed. Barbulae (hairy outgrowths) found at the edge of petal wings and down into the throat. Indehiscentfruit, which lacks a clear demarcation between the hard endocarp and outer layers with unthickened cell walls.

Distribution

Scaevola plumieri occurs throughout the Neotropics. S. wrigtii is endemic to eastern Cuba. S. taccada is an exotic invasive found in the British Virgin Islands. Scaevola plumieri (L.) Vahl can be found throughout coastal areas of the Neotropics. S. wrigtii (M.Gomez) is endemic to eastern Cuba. S. taccada (Gaertn.) Roxb (= S. sericea Vahl) is a paleotropical species naturalized in the British Virgin Islands.

Note

Scaevola: (from the Latin scaevus meaning 'left-handed') - a reference to a legendary one-handed Roman hero Mucius Scaevola, who was likened to the genus, as its flowers appear to have been cut in half. Insect pollinated. Notes on delimitation: Currently circumscribed in the Asterales as sister group to Calyceraceae and Menyanthaceae (Stevens 2008). Placed in the Campanuales by Cronquist. Number of genera: 1 Genus:  Scaevola L. with 3 species.

Goodeniaceae, F.N. Hepper. Flora of West Tropical Africa 2. 1963

Morphology General Habit

Herbs or undershrubs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate or rarely opposite; stipules absent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers zygomorphic

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx tubular, adnate to the ovary, rarely free

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla gamopetalous, bilabiate or rarely 1-lipped, lobes valvate, often induplicate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Stamens 5, alternate with the corolla-lobes, free or rarely shortly adnate to the corolla; anthers 2-celled, free or connivent around the style

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Ovules 1 or more in each cell, erect or ascending Ovary mostly inferior, 1-4-celled; stigma indusiate at the top

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit drupaceous or nut-like, or capsular

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds small, with straight embryo in the middle of copious endosperm

Goodeniaceae, E. Launert. Flora Zambesiaca 7:1. 1983

Morphology General Habit

Herbs, small shrubs or rarely shrubs or small trees without latex, rarely spinescent

Morphology Leaves

Leaves usually alternate, rarely opposite, sometimes all radical, entire, simple, exstipulate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers sometimes solitary and axillary but more often arranged in a spike, raceme or panicle, hermaphrodite, protandrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx tubular, adnate to the ovary or very rarely free; limb consisting of 5 persistent lobes, rarely entire

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Lobes valvate, subequal Corolla sympetalous, 5–merous, bilabiate or very rarely 1–lipped; tube long, often villous inside

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Stamens 5, alternating with the corolla–lobes and inserted at the base of the corolla, usually free but sometimes joined with the anthers; anthers 2–thecous, with the theca parallel and opening longitudinally

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Nectaries

Disc sometimes present

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Ovary mostly inferior, 1–2 (–4)–locular; ovules 1–several, erect or ascending Style simple or rarely divided, emerging laterally from the split corolla–tube; stigma truncate or bilobed, with an apical indusium

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a drupe, capsule or nutlike

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds with endosperm, small, flat, with a thin or thick and often crustaceous testa

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herbs or shrubs with watery sap; leaves alternate, rarely opposite or basal only, simple and entire or toothed, rarely pinnatifid; stipules absent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers perfect, usually zygomorphic, solitary or in cymes, racemes or heads arising from the leaf-axils

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx shortly 5-lobed, truncate or sometimes obsolete; corolla 5-lobed and 1–2-lipped, split down one side

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 5, free or shortly adnate to the base of the corolla; anthers free or coherent around the style, 2-celled, opening lengthwise inwardly

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary inferior to superior, mostly 1–2-celled, with 1 or more erect or ascending ovules in each cavity, basal or on axile placentas; stigma simple or 2–3-branched, surrounded by a cup

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a drupe, nut or capsule; seeds with fleshy endosperm.

Distribution

A chiefly Australasian family of about 12 genera and 300 species.