Lennoaceae

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Content is from Kirkbride et al. 2006, without modification. 
Updates are forthcoming.

Taxonomy

Lennoaceae Solms-Lauback

Common name: Lennoa Family.

Number of genera: 2 genera.

Number of species (Mabberley 1997): 6 species.

Disseminule

Fruit (dehisced), or seed.

Description

Fruits: Pistil(s) compound; 1; 1-pistillate; with carpels united. Fruit pericarpium; simple; capsule; pyxidium capsule; capsule not inflated; capsule without operculum; without persistent central column; not within accessory organ(s), or within accessory organ(s) (See Airy Shaw); within calyx and corolla; 10 to less than 25-seeded to 25 to less than 50-seeded; 12–28-seeded; less than 1 cm long; 0.3–0.4 cm long (in diameter); with 5–16-carpellate; with carpels united; with carpels remaining united at maturity; with carpels not radiating at maturity; without sterile carpels; sulcate; in transection terete; apex not beaked; wall fleshy (drying upon maturing); dehiscent. Dehiscent unit endocarp(s). Dehiscent regularly, or irregularly (to somewhat); passively; linearly; by circumscissile slit; at middle; and shedding seeds; without replum. Epicarp dull (assumed); durable; glabrous; without armature; without wing(s); without apical respiratory hole. Mesocarp absent. Endocarp present; not separating from exocarp; thin; not splitting into 1-seeded pyrenes; smooth; without wing; without operculum; without secretory cavities; without mechanism for seedling escape; without grooves; without longitudinal ridges. Funiculus short; short without seed bearing hooks (retinacula); not persisting in fruit after seed shed.

Seeds: Aril absent. Seed larger than minute, or minute; less than 1 mm long to 1 to less than 5 mm long; 0.5–1 mm long; reniform (slightly), or ovate; in transection compressed; not bowl shaped; not nutlike; without winglike beak; without caudate appendage(s); at maturity with food reserves; with endosperm; without canavanine. Sarcotesta absent. Testa present; without markedly different marginal tissue; without fleshy or leathery layer over hard layer; tight; dull; surface unsmooth; surface with depressed features, or discreet raised features, or merged raised features; surface punctate; surface papillate (Pholisma); surface reticulate, or roughened; 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; glabrous; without wings; without collar; without operculum; colored; monochrome; brown (all shades); not becoming mucilaginous when wetted; surrounding food reserve. Endosperm development cellular; copious; smooth; with starch; without fatty acid containing cyclopropene; without apical lobes; without chlorophyll; without isodiametric faceted surface; without odor. Embryo differentiated from food reserve; rudimentary; 1 per seed; partially filling testa (with food reserve); at one end of seed not extending into a depression or cup; lenticular, or globose; parallel to seed length; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; without stomata; not green; acotyledonous. Hypocotyl-radicle undeveloped.

Distribution

General distribution: New World.

Detailed distribution: Southwestern USA North America to South America (to Venezuela & Colombia).

Notes

Drupaceous-capsular or fleshy capsule enclosed by persistent calyx or corolla that dehisces 1-seeded stones enclosed by persistent calyx and corolla. Yatskievych (1986): "Fruit slightly depressed capsule, somewhat fleshy, but drying at maturity; dehiscent circumscisslely by an irregular ring below middle of capsule (fig. 10)" - like Portulacca.

References

Literature specific to this family: Yatskievych, G. & C.T. Mason, Jr. 1986. A revision of the Lennoaceae. Syst. Bot. 11:531–548; Thackery, F.A. & M.F. Gilman. 1930. A rare parasitic food plant of the Southwest. Rep. (Annual) Board Regents Smithsonian Inst. 1930:409–416 + 9 plates; Yatskievych, G. 1985. Notes of the biology of the Lennoaceae. Cact. Succ. J. (Los Angeles) 57:73–79; Dressler, R.L. & J. Kuijt. 1968. A second species of Ammobroma (Lennoaceae) in Sinaloa, Mexico. Madroña 19:179–182.

General references: Airy Shaw, H.K. 1973. A dictionary of the flowering plants and ferns, 1,131 pp. University Press, Cambridge, 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., 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 Spjut, R.W. 1994. A systematic treatment of fruit types. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 70:1–182.