Halophytaceae

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

Halophytaceae A. Soriano

Common name: Halophytum Family.

Number of genera: 1 genus.

Number of species (Mabberley 1997): 1 species (Halophytum ameghinoi (Speg.) Speg.).

Disseminule

Fruit (intact or entire).

Description

Fruits: Fruit pericarpium; simple; urticle (not Spjut); without persistent central column; more than 1 but less than 10-seeded; 2-seeded (based on drawing in Correa); less than 1 cm long to from 1–5 cm long; 0.8–1.4 cm long; 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
; in transection tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
; apexapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ
beaked; apexapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ
moderately beaked; wall chartaceouschartaceous:
papery, papyraceous
(assumed); 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
greenish- purple, or green; dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen
; evanscent; glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
, or not glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
(with hairs); hairs short, or medium length; hairs dense; hairs not glandularglandular:
surface relief—covered with small, raised secretory glands, regular or irregularly shaped, translucent or opaque, and maybe distinctly colored
; without armature; without wing(s); without apicalapical:
at or pertaining to the end of the seed or fruit distal from its point of attachment (i.e., base)
respiratory hole. Mesocarpmesocarp:
the middle layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers
present. 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
; hard firm and thick (unusually); not splitting into 1-seeded pyrenes; without operculumoperculum:
a dehiscent cap (or lid) of a seed or fruit that opens during germination or dehiscence
; without secretory cavities; without longitudinallongitudinal:
of or relating to length or the lengthwise dimension
ridges. 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
; in transection compressedcompressed:
flattened; in grasses, used to denote compression (not necessarily flattened) either laterally or dorsiventrally
; 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 endosperm (assumed); without canavanine. Sarcotestasarcotesta:
pulpy or fleshy outer layer of the seed coat, simulates aril
absent. Testatesta:
seed coat
present; without markedly different marginalmarginal:
at, on, or close to the margin or border
tissue; without fleshy or leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
layer over hard layer; tight; without crease or line separating cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle; without notch along margin where cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle tip approach each other; without glands; without bristles; glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
; 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; surrounding embryo. Endosperm opaqueopaque:
not transmitting light
; with starch; without fatty acid containing cyclopropene; without apicalapical:
at or pertaining to the end of the seed or fruit distal from its point of attachment (i.e., base)
lobes; without chlorophyll; without isodiametric faceted surface; without odor. Embryo differentiated from food reserve; well developed; 1 per seed; partially filling testatesta:
seed coat
(with food reserve); 1.3 times the length of 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
; linearlinear:
(shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide
; annularannular:
3D shape—forming a ring
; parallel to seed length; with cotyledons gradually connected to hypocotyl-radicle; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; without stomata; not green; with 2 or more cotyledons. Cotyledons 2; as wide as hypocotyl-radicle; 1 times wider than hypocotyl-radicle; not concealing hypocotyl-radicle; not foliaceous; thin; flat; smooth; with apicesapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ
entire; with margins connate; 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 moderately developed; curvedcurved:
(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart
(U-shaped); not thickened.

Distribution

General distribution: New World.

Detailed distribution: South America (Argentina).
 

Notes

Spegazzini (1899 &1902).

References

Literature specific to this family: Soriano, A. 1984. In: M.N. Correa, ed., Flora Patagonica, parte IVa. Dicotyledones dialipetales (Saliaceae a Cruciferae), pp. 163 & 167. Colección Científica del INTA, Buenos Aires; Spegazzini, C.L. 1899. Nova addenda ad floram patagonicam. Anales Soc. Cie. Argent. 48:40–60; Spegazzini, C.L. 1902. Nova addenda ad floram patagonicam. Anales Mus. Buenos Aires 7:140–160.

General references: Cronquist, A. 1981. An integrated system of classification of flowering plants, 1,262 p. Columbia University Press, New York, 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.