Basellaceae

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

Basellaceae Moquin-Tandon

Common name: Basella Family.

Number of genera: 4 genera.

Number of species (Mabberley 1997): 15 species.

Disseminule

Fruit (intact or entire).

Description

Fruits: Pistil(s) simple, or compound; 1; 1-pistillate; with carpels united. Fruit anthocarpanthocarp:
simple or compound and including some tissue of non-ovarian origin (accessory tissue)
; simple; acrosarcum (Basella alba L.), or diclesium (Ullucus tuberosus Caldas); without persistent central column; within accessory organ(s); within perianthperianth:
collective term for calyx and corolla of a flower
(Basella alba L.), or sepalssepal:
a member of the outer envelope of a flower (calyx)
(Ullucus tuberosa Caldas with drawings & of Anredea); with 3-carpellate (becoming at maturity 1-carpeled with 1 seed); with carpels united; with carpels remaining united at maturity; without sterilesterile:
lacking male and/or female reproductive parts; also, not producing fruit or seed
carpels; 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; with wing(s), or without wing(s); 2-winged (Anredera); with wing(s) laterallateral:
(of embryo) embryo lies along the side of the seed, generally towards one end; of, at, or from the side; in grasses, can refer to the sides adjacent to the dorsal and ventral sides
; 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
absent. Funiculusfuniculus:
(alt. funicle) stalk connecting the ovule (later seed) to the ovary (later fruit) placenta
short; short without seed bearing hookswith hooks:
bristles or spines with curved or backwards pointing tips, or with secondary bristles along their length
(retinacula); not persisting in fruit after seed shed.

Seeds: Arilaril:
(broad sense) appendicular structure that wholly or partly envelops a seed and is produced from or a modification of the funicle, raphe, or outer integument; usually fleshy or pulpy, sometimes spongy or tufted-capillate, often brightly colored
absent. Seed larger than minute; circularcircular:
(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an "O" shape
; terete; not bowl shaped; not nutlike; without winglike beakbeak:
a usually firm, terminal appendage, sometimes tapered
; without caudatecaudate:
tapering to a long, tail-like appendage
appendage(s); at maturity with food reserves; with perispermperisperm:
seed nutritive tissue comparable to the endosperm, but derived from the nucellus (maternal tissue)
, or endosperm; without canavanine. Sarcotestasarcotesta:
pulpy or fleshy outer layer of the seed coat, simulates aril
absent. Testatesta:
seed coat
present; without fleshy or leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
layer over hard layer; without glands; without bristles; without wings; without collar; without operculumoperculum:
a dehiscent cap (or lid) of a seed or fruit that opens during germination or dehiscence
; colored; monochrome; membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
; not becoming mucilaginousmucilaginous:
resembling mucilage; moist and sticky
when wetted; surrounding embryo. Rapheraphe:
a ridge or seam on the seed coat, formed by the portion of the funiculus united to the ovule wall in longitudinally curved ovules
inconspicuous. Endosperm development nuclear. Perispermperisperm:
seed nutritive tissue comparable to the endosperm, but derived from the nucellus (maternal tissue)
copious, or scanty (Basella with coiledcoiled:
(of embryo) linear embryo is very long and bent to form a coil whereby one end of the embryo is on the outside and the other end near the middle of the seed
embryo); with starch; with starch composed of clustered grains; opaqueopaque:
not transmitting light
. Embryo differentiated from food reserve; well developed; 1 per seed; partially filling testatesta:
seed coat
(with food reserve); at one end of seed not extending into a depression or cup; peripheralperipheral:
(of embryo) embryo is curved around the outer edge of the seed, near the seed coat
; flatly coiledcoiled:
(of embryo) linear embryo is very long and bent to form a coil whereby one end of the embryo is on the outside and the other end near the middle of the seed
(circinatecircinate:
3D shape—terete and rolled downward from the apex in a tight coil
), or annularannular:
3D shape—forming a ring
; 90% annularannular:
3D shape—forming a ring
, or 100% annularannular:
3D shape—forming a ring
, or 150% annularannular:
3D shape—forming a ring
; with cotyledons gradually connected to hypocotyl-radicle; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; without stomata; not green; with 2 or more cotyledons. Cotyledons 2; well developed; 0.5–0.7 times length of embryo; not concealing hypocotyl-radicle; foliaceous; moderately thick; circinatecircinate:
3D shape—terete and rolled downward from the apex in a tight coil
; smooth; with apicesapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ
entire; with margins separate; basally entire; equal in size; not punctatepunctate:
surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted
dotted. Hypocotyl-radicle well developed; coiledcoiled:
(of embryo) linear embryo is very long and bent to form a coil whereby one end of the embryo is on the outside and the other end near the middle of the seed
; not thickened.

Habitat and crop association

Noxious weeds: 1 or more USA state noxious weeds in this family.

USA states and territories with listed noxious weeds: Hawaii (HI).

USA state and territory noxious weeds: 

Anredera cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis: USA state noxious weed: HI●. 

Symbols: ªaquatic weed; ●terrestrial weed; °weed in seed. 
Last updated February 2006.
 

Distribution

General distribution: Pantropical and pansubtropical. New World and Old World (mostly New World).

Detailed distribution: North America to Oceania.

References

General references: Cronquist, A. 1981. An integrated system of classification of flowering plants, 1,262 p. Columbia University Press, New York, Goldberg, A. 1986 (dicots) & 1989 (monocots). Classification, evolution, and phylogeny of the familes of Dicotyledons. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 58 for dicots (314 pp.) & 71 for monocots (74 pp.). [Goldberg's illustrations are reproduced from older publications and these should be consulted], Gunn, C.R. & C.A. Ritchie. 1988. Identification of disseminulesdisseminule:
detachable plant part capable of being disseminated and of propagating, commonly a seed or fruit
listed in the Federal Noxious Weed Act. Techn. Bull. U.S.D.A. 1719:1–313, 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, Mabberley, D.J. 1987. The plant-book, 706 p. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, and Spjut, R.W. 1994. A systematic treatment of fruit types. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 70:1–182.