Schisandraceae

Disclaimer

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

Taxonomy

Schisandraceae Blume

Common name: Schisandra Family.

Number of genera: 2 genera.

Number of species (Mabberley 1997): 47 species.

Disseminule

Fruit (intact or entire).

Description

Fruits: Pistil(s) compound; 1; 1-pistillate; with carpels united. Fruit pericarpium; multiple, or simple; berry (not Spjut); baccetum (Spjut 6 families: Annonaceae, Austrobaileyaceae, Lardizabalaceae, Ranunculaceae, Schisandraceae, Winteraceae); without persistent central column; not within accessory organ(s); many-seeded; many; with 12–300-carpellate (20–30); with carpels separate; without sterile carpels; not sulcate; in transection terete; apex not beaked; wall fleshy; indehiscent. Epicarp durable; glabrous; without armature; smooth; without wing(s); without apical respiratory hole. Mesocarp present; fleshy; composed of 1 unified layer; without lactiform cavity system. Endocarp absent. Funiculus short; short without seed bearing hooks (retinacula); not persisting in fruit after seed shed.

Seeds: Aril absent. Seed larger than minute; 10 to less than 25 mm long; 15 mm long, or 19 mm long; D-shaped, or reniform; in transection flattened; 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; surface smooth, or unsmooth; with crease or line separating cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle, or without crease or line separating cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle; with notch along margin where cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle tip approaching each other; without glands; without bristles; glabrous; without wings; without collar; without operculum; colored; monochrome; yellow, or brown (all shades) (including gray-); not becoming mucilaginous when wetted; surrounding food reserve. Hilum larger than punctate. Endosperm development cellular; copious; smooth; with starch; 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; partially filling testa (with food reserve); 0.2 times the length of food reserve; at one end of seed not extending into a depression or cup; axile and centric, or basal; miniature; straight; oblique to seed length; embedded in endosperm; with cotyledons gradually connected to hypocotyl-radicle; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; without stomata; not green; with 2 or more cotyledons. Cotyledons 2; scale-like; divaricate; 0.5 times length of embryo; as wide as hypocotyl-radicle; 1 times wider than hypocotyl-radicle; not concealing hypocotyl-radicle; not foliaceous; thin; flat; smooth; with apices entire; with margins separate; basally entire; equal in size; not punctate dotted. Hypocotyl-radicle moderately developed; straight; not thickened.

Distribution

General distribution: New World and Old World.

Detailed distribution: North America, Asia Major, and Asia Southeastern.

Notes

Spjut: Kadsura carpels aggregated into a head but apparently not concrescent. Cronquist: Fruit berrylike carpels, these on somewhat elongated axis (Schisandra) or in a dense head (Kadsura).
 

References

Literature specific to this family: Saunders, R.M.K. 1998. Monograph of Kadsura (Schisandraceae). Syst. Bot. Monogr. 54:1–106.

General references: Baillon, H.E. 1866–95. Histoire des plantes, 13 vols. Hachette & Co., Paris, 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, 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, and Spjut, R.W. 1994. A systematic treatment of fruit types. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 70:1–182.