Asteropeiaceae

Disclaimer

Content is from Kirkbride et al. 2006Kirkbride et al. 2006:
Kirkbride JH, Jr, Gunn CR, and Dallwitz MJ. 2006. Family guide for fruits and seeds, vers. 1.0. Accessed September 2020-January 2022. URL:  https://nt.ars-grin.gov/seedsfruits/keys/frsdfam/index.cfm ., without modification. 
Updates are forthcoming.

Taxonomy

Asteropeiaceae (Szyszylowicz) Takhtajan ex Reveal & Hoogland

Common name: Asteropeia Family.

Number of genera: 1 genus.

Number of species (Mabberley 1997): 7 species.

Disseminule

Fruit (intact or entire).

Description

Fruits: Pistil(s) 1; 1-pistillate. Fruit anthocarpanthocarp:
simple or compound and including some tissue of non-ovarian origin (accessory tissue)
(Spjut did not score this family); simple; within accessory organ(s); within calyxcalyx:
the outer whorl of the perianth; all the sepals of a flower
(5 winglike calices); accrescentaccrescent:
growing continuously
; not sulcatesulcate:
surface relief—having one or more elongate, relatively narrow and shallow depressions or grooves
; apexapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ
not beaked; indehiscentindehiscent:
not opening on its own, as in a fruit
. Epicarpepicarp:
outer layer of fruit wall or pericarp, if divided into layers; note here used synonymously with exocarp
durable; without armature; without apicalapical:
at or pertaining to the end of the seed or fruit distal from its point of attachment (i.e., base)
respiratory hole. Endocarpendocarp:
the inner layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers
present; not separating from exocarpexocarp:
outer layer of fruit wall or pericarp, if divided into layers; note here used synonymously with epicarp
; thin; not splitting into 1-seeded pyrenes; without operculumoperculum:
a dehiscent cap (or lid) of a seed or fruit that opens during germination or dehiscence
.

Seeds: Testatesta:
seed coat
present; without glands; without wings; without collar; without operculumoperculum:
a dehiscent cap (or lid) of a seed or fruit that opens during germination or dehiscence
; colored; monochrome; not becoming mucilaginousmucilaginous:
resembling mucilage; moist and sticky
when wetted. Embryo well developed.

Distribution

General distribution: Old World.

Detailed distribution: Africa (only Madagascar).

Notes

No seed and little fruit data. Spjut did not score this family. (BARC) has fruit sample of Asteropeia multiflora, but has no literature in folder. Cronquist & Mabberley have in Theaceae.

References

Literature specific to this family: Grandidier, A. 1889. Hist. phys. Madagascar, plates 129, 130. Published by the author, Paris.

General references: Cronquist, A. 1981. An integrated system of classification of flowering plants, 1,262 p. Columbia University Press, New York, Gunn, C.R., J.H. Wiersema, C.A. Ritchie, & J.H. Kirkbride, Jr. 1992 & amendments. Families and genera of Spermatophytes recognized by the Agricultural Research Service. Techn. Bull. U.S.D.A. 1796:1–500, and Mabberley, D.J. 1987. The plant-book, 706 p. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.