Loasaceae

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

Taxonomy

Loasaceae Jussieu

Common name: Loasa Family.

Number of genera: 14 genera.

Number of species (Mabberley 1997): 260 species.

Disseminule

Fruit (dehisced), or fruit (intact or entire), or seed.

Description

Fruits: Pistil(s) simple, or compound; 1; 1-pistillate; with carpels united. Fruit pericarpium, or anthocarp; simple; capsule; loculicidal capsule, septicidal capsule, and fissuricidal capsule; capsule not inflated; capsule without operculum; simple; pseudosamara (Fissenia); without persistent central column; crowned by sepals; with styles(s); at apex; within accessory organ(s); within perianth, or bracts, or cupule; accrescent; persistent; many-seeded (usually); usually many; with (1–)5(–7)-carpellate (3–5 usually); with carpels united; with carpels remaining united at maturity; with carpels not radiating at maturity; without sterile carpels; not sulcate; in transection terete; apex not beaked; dehiscent, or indehiscent (rarely). Dehiscent unit seed(s). Dehiscent regularly, or irregularly; actively; elastically, or explosively; with valves twisting; valves not spirally twisting, or spirally twisting; linearly; by dorsal sutures, or ventral sutures, or back of carpel; at apex, or middle, or base; and shedding seeds; without replum. Epicarp dull; durable; not glabrous (with hairs); hairs short; hairs dense; hairs not glandular; without armature; not smooth; with wing(s); 5-winged; with wing(s) apical; 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 minute to larger than minute; less than 1 mm long to 1 to less than 5 mm long; 0.5–5 mm long; not bowl shaped; not nutlike; without winglike beak; without caudate appendage(s); at maturity with food reserves, or without apparent food reserves (Gronovioideae); with endosperm; without canavanine. Sarcotesta absent. Testa present; without markedly different marginal tissue; without fleshy or leathery layer over hard layer; loose; dull; surface smooth, or unsmooth; surface with depressed features, or discreet raised features, or merged raised features; surface punctate; surface warted; surface striate, or reticulate, or ridged (longitudinally); 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, or with wing(s); 1-winged; with wing on one side; with solid wing(s) similar to testa (assumed); without collar; without operculum; colored; monochrome; brown (all shades); not becoming mucilaginous when wetted; surrounding embryo, or surrounding food reserve. Endosperm development cellular; copious, or scant; hard, or fleshy-soft; smooth; with oils; without fatty acid containing cyclopropene; without apical lobes; without chlorophyll; without isodiametric faceted surface; without odor. Embryo differentiated from food reserve; well developed; 1 per seed; completely filling testa (no food reserve), or partially filling testa (with food reserve), or nearly filling testa (trace or scanty food reserve); chamber lateral to wing (assumed); 0.3–1.4 times the length of food reserve; at one end of seed not extending into a depression or cup; axile and centric; foliate, or linear; with investing cotyledons, or spatulate cotyledons; straight, or bent, or J-shaped; parallel to seed length; embedded in endosperm; with cotyledons abruptly connected to hypocotyl-radicle, or gradually connected to hypocotyl-radicle; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; without stomata; not green; with 2 or more cotyledons. Cotyledons 2; moderately developed, or well developed; 0.3–0.8 times length of embryo; as wide as hypocotyl-radicle, or somewhat to significantly wider than hypocotyl-radicle; 1–3 times wider than hypocotyl-radicle; not concealing hypocotyl-radicle, or partially concealing hypocotyl-radicle; thin; flat; smooth; with apices entire; with margins separate; basally entire; equal in size; not punctate dotted. Hypocotyl-radicle well developed, or moderately developed; straight; not thickened.

Distribution

General distribution: New World and Old World.

Detailed distribution: North America, Middle America, South America, Africa, and Asia Minor (Fissenia).

Notes

Airy Shaw: Fruit and seed may be spirally twisted.

References

Literature specific to this family: Hufford, L.D. 1988. Seed morphology of Eucnide and other Loasaceae. Syst. Bot. 13:154–167.

General references: Corner, E.J.H. 1976. The seeds of Dicots, esp. vol. 2. Cambridge University Press, New York, Cronquist, A. 1981. An integrated system of classification of flowering plants, 1,262 p. Columbia University Press, New York, Engler, A. & K. Prantl. 1924 and onward. Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilimien. W. Engelman, Leipzig, 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, LeMaout, E. & J. Decaisne. 1876. A general system of botany, 1,065 p. Longmans, Green, & Co., London, Mabberley, D.J. 1987. The plant-book, 706 p. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Martin, A.C. 1946. The comparative internal morphology of seeds. Amer. Midl. Naturalist 36:513–660, and Spjut, R.W. 1994. A systematic treatment of fruit types. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 70:1–182.