Pedaliaceae R.Br.

First published in Prodr. Fl. Nov. Holland. 519. 1810 [27 Mar 1810] (1810)nom. cons.
This family is accepted

Descriptions

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

Morphology General Habit
Small trees with swollen stems, shrubs with or without swollen main branches, perennial herbs, sometimes with a short swollen stem and tuberous roots, or annual herbs, erect or procumbent, covered with mucilage-glands (at least on the young parts) which produce slime when wetted
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite or the upper sometimes alternate, petiolate to subsessile, usually simple, entire to pinnatilobed, sometimes digitate, exstipulate, sometimes subsucculent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers usually solitary in the leaf axils, rarely in few-flowered cymes; pedicels generally with nectar glands (extrafloral nectaries originating from reduced flowers) at the base Flowers hermaphrodite, irregular
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 5-partite
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla gamopetalous; tube usually obliquely campanulate, sometimes funnel-shaped or cylindrical, adaxially often slightly gibbous or rarely spurred at the base; limb sub-bilabiate or subequally 5-lobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium
Stamens 4, didynamous (fifth stamen often represented by a staminode), usually inserted near the base of the corolla and normally included in the tube; thecae 2, parallel or divaricate, opening lengthwise; connective usually gland-tipped
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Nectaries
Disk (nectary) hypogynous, fleshy, generally conspicuous, often asymmetrical
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium
Ovary superior, usually bilocular, the loculi often completely or partially divided by false septa, each compartment containing 1-many ovules attached to a central placenta; style filiform, exceeding the anthers; stigma usually bilobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit very variable, dehiscent or indehiscent, often provided with protuberances such as horns, spines or wings
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 1-many in each compartment; testa often characteristically sculptured, sometimes forming wings; seeds containing considerable amounts of fat; the endosperm very thin
[FZ]

Pedaliaceae, H. Heine. Flora of West Tropical Africa 2. 1963

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial herbs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite or the upper alternate, simple; stipules absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers hermaphrodite, zygomorphic
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx of 5 or 4 segments or 4-fid or spathaceous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla gamopetalous, often oblique; lobes 5, imbricate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium
Stamens 4, or rarely only 2 perfect, alternate with the corolla-lobes; anthers connivent in pairs, 2-celled, cells distinct, parallel or divaricate, opening lengthwise; fifth stamen often represented by a staminode
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Nectaries
Disk hypogynous, fleshy
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium
Ovules solitary or numerous on each placenta Ovary sessile, 1-celled with 2 intrusive parietal placentas or 2-4-celled, the cells again often divided by spurious septa; style terminal
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a capsule, nut, or subdrupaceous; endocarp hardened and often horned or prickly
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds without endosperm; embryo with flat cotyledons
[FWTA]

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

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial herbs, rarely shrubs or small trees, covered with mucilage-glands (at least on the young parts), which become slimy when wetted
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite or the upper alternate, usually simple, exstipulate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers usually solitary in the leaf axils, rarely in few-flowered racemes; pedicels generally with nectarial glands at the base Flowers hermaphrodite, irregular
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 5-partite
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla gamopetalous; tube usually obliquely campanulate, sometimes funnel-shaped or cylindrical and gibbous or spurred at the base; limb sub-bilabiate or subequally 5-lobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium
Stamens 4, didynamous (fifth stamen often represented by a staminode) inserted near the base and normally included in the tube Anther-cells 2, parallel or divaricate, opening lengthwise, connective usually gland-tipped
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Nectaries
Disc hypogynous, fleshy, generally conspicuous, often asymmetrical
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium
Ovary superior, usually 2-celled, cells often completely or partially divided by false septa, each compartment containing 1–? ovules attached to the central placenta; style filiform, exceeding the anthers, stigma usually 2-lobed, rarely 4-lobed or trumpet-shaped
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit very variable, dehiscent, or in-dehiscent, often provided with horns, spines or wings
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 1–? in each compartment, sometimes winged; testa often reticulate or pitted, endosperm very thin
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • 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

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical 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 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0