Zamiaceae

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

Zamiaceae Horaninow

Common name: Zamia Family.

Number of genera: 8 genera (with Bowenia transferred to Stangeriaceae).

Number of species (Mabberley 1997): 83 species (with 2 species of Bowenia tranferred to Stangeriaceae).

Disseminule

Cone, or seed.

Description

Cones: Dry; simplesimple:
fruit formed from a single flower with one pistil, solitary carpel or several fused carpels
when dry (Spjut Fig. 50A & 2 families: Ephedraceae, Zamiaceae); oblongoblong:
2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded
, or ovoidovoid:
3D shape—ovate
; symmetrical.

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; 10 to less than 25 mm long to 25 to less than 50 mm long; 23–33 mm long; oblongoblong:
2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded
, or obovoidobovoid:
3D shape—obovate
, or ovateovate:
2D shape—egg-shaped in outline, widest point is towards one end of the organ, the other end tapers gradually, attachment at or near the broad end (compare obovate, ovoid)
; in transectiontransection:
a cross section; representing a plane made by cutting across an organ at a right angle to its length
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 endospermendosperm:
nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds
; without canavanine. Sarcotestasarcotesta:
pulpy or fleshy outer layer of the seed coat, simulates aril
present; fleshyfleshy:
texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut
. Testatesta:
seed coat
present; without markedly different marginalmarginal:
at, on, or close to the margin or border
tissue; with fleshyfleshy:
texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut
or leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
layer over hard layer; tight; surface smooth; 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; pubescentpubescent:
surface relief—bearing hairs
; without glandularglandular:
surface relief—covered with small, raised secretory glands, regular or irregularly shaped, translucent or opaque, and maybe distinctly colored
pubescence; without wings; without collar; without operculumoperculum:
a dehiscent cap (or lid) of a seed or fruit that opens during germination or dehiscence
; colored; monochrome; red ("brightly colored"); not becoming mucilaginousmucilaginous:
resembling mucilage; moist and sticky
when wetted. Endospermendosperm:
nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds
copious; fleshyfleshy:
texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut
; smooth; 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); 0.75 times the length of food reserve; at one end of seed not extending into a depression or cup; axileaxile:
on or of the axis
and centric; linearlinear:
(shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide
; straight; parallel to seed length; surrounding perispermperisperm:
seed nutritive tissue comparable to the endosperm, but derived from the nucellus (maternal tissue)
; with cotyledons gradually connected to hypocotyl-radicle; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; without stomata; not green; with 2 or more cotyledons. Cotyledons 2; well developed; not divaricate; 0.9 times length of embryo; as wide as hypocotyl-radicle; 1 times wider than hypocotyl-radicle; not concealing hypocotyl-radicle; not foliaceous; thinthin:
having or being of relatively little depth
; 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, or unequal in size; markedly unequal; not punctatepunctate:
surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted
dotted.

Distribution

General distribution: New World and Old World.

Detailed distribution: North America, Middle America, South America, Africa, and Australia.

Notes

Zamiaceae description was not changed with the transfer of Bowenia to Stangeriaceae. Cones of Zamiaceae disintegrate at maturity shedding seeds attached to cone scales.

References

Literature specific to this family: Stevenson, D.W., S. Sabato, & M.V. Torres. 1986. A new species of Ceratozamia (Zamiaceae) from Veracruz, Mexico with comments on species relationships, habitats, and vegetative morphology in Ceratozamia. Brittonia 38:17–26.

General references: 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, Hooker, J.D. 1873 and forward. Icones Plantarum. William & Norgate, London. (plate number cited in text within [ ]), Mabberley, D.J. 1987. The plant-book, 706 p. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Morley, B.D. & H.R. Toelken, eds. 1983. Flowering Plants in Australia, 416 pp. Rigby, Adelaide, Spjut, R.W. 1994. A systematic treatment of fruit types. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 70:1–182, and Johnson, L.A.S. & K.L. Wilson. 1990. Cycadophytina/Cycadatae with the single living order Cycadales (Cycads). In: Kubitzki, K., ed., The families and genera of vascular plants, pp. 362–377. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.