Taccaceae

Taxonomy

Family name: Taccaceae Dumort.

Synonym(s): [none]

Common name(s): tacca family

*Number of genera/species: 1/13

List of genera records in GRIN-Global

Disseminule

fruit or seed

Description

Fruit dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
, loculicidalloculicidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal)
capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels
 or indehiscentindehiscent:
not opening on its own, as in a fruit
, berryberry:
an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa.
, 6-50 mm long, ovoidovoid:
3D shape—ovate
, subglobosesubglobose:
3D shape—almost globose
, or ellipsoidellipsoid:
3D shape—elliptic
, sulcatesulcate:
surface relief—having one or more elongate, relatively narrow and shallow depressions or grooves
, tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
or angledangled:
2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles  
in transectiontransection:
a cross section; representing a plane made by cutting across an organ at a right angle to its length
, with persistent perianthperianth:
collective term for calyx and corolla of a flower
, 10–25 seeded or many seeded. Pericarppericarp:
fruit wall or fruit coat
purple or brown, fleshyfleshy:
texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut
, ribbedribbed:
surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface
or ridgedridged:
surface relief—raised, thick ridges, sharp edged or rounded, usually in a series that may cover the entire surface
.

Seed globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
to prismaticprismatic:
like a prism; with sharp, definite angles and flat sides
, including reniformreniform:
2D or 3D shape—kidney-shaped
or horseshoe-shapedhorseshoe-shaped:
3D shape—relatively slender and strongly compressed, the whole strongly curved over its length in a plane perpendicular to the direction of compression and forming an incomplete circle, the ends somewhat straighter than the rest and parallel or nearly so
, compressedcompressed:
flattened; in grasses, used to denote compression (not necessarily flattened) either laterally or dorsiventrally
in transectiontransection:
a cross section; representing a plane made by cutting across an organ at a right angle to its length
. Seed coat brown, spongyspongy:
soft, light, discontinuous but cohesive, and somewhat resilient
, ribbedribbed:
surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface
or striatestriate:
surface relief—having fine, parallel lines, grooves or ridges
. A thinthin:
having or being of relatively little depth
, fleshyfleshy:
texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut
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
is present in some species but not visible in drydry:
texture—free or relatively free from water or liquid
seeds.

Embryo rudimentaryrudimentary:
(of embryo) embryo is small and fills less than a quarter of the seed and can be variable in shapes, such as linear, spatulate, or oval
, minute, globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
or ovoidovoid:
3D shape—ovate
, curvedcurved:
(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart
, basalbasal:
at or pertaining to the point of attachment; (of embryo) embryo occupies one end of the seed
, with laterallateral:
(of embryo) embryo lies along the side of the seed, generally towards one end; of, at, or from the side; in grasses, can refer to the sides adjacent to the dorsal and ventral sides
cotyledoncotyledon:
a primary leaf of the embryo
. Endospermendosperm:
nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds
copious.

Identification features

Fruit
Type	capsule, berry
Size range	6–50 mm long
Shape(s)	ovoid, subglobosesubglobose: 3D shape—almost globose , ellipsoid
Texture	fleshyfleshy: texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut
Surface relief	ribbed, ridged
Color(s)	purple, brown
Unique features	Purple or brown, fleshyfleshy: texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut capsulescapsules: a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels or berriesberries: an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa. , with 6 ribs or ridges, usually with longitudinally ridgedridged: surface relief—raised, thick ridges, sharp edged or rounded, usually in a series that may cover the entire surface seeds.
Seed
Shape(s)	prismatic, reniformreniform: 2D or 3D shape—kidney-shaped , hippocrepiformhippocrepiform: 3D shape—horseshoe-shaped , ovoidovoid: 3D shape—ovate , ellipsoidellipsoid: 3D shape—elliptic , globoseglobose: 3D shape—more or less spherical , oblong
Surface relief	ribbed, striate
Color(s)	brown
Unique features	Ribbed ribbed: surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface or striatestriate: surface relief—having fine, parallel lines, grooves or ridges seeds with a spongyspongy: soft, light, discontinuous but cohesive, and somewhat resilient seed coat.
Other
Embryo	rudimentary, minute, globoseglobose: 3D shape—more or less spherical or ovoidovoid: 3D shape—ovate , curvedcurved: (of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart , basalbasal: at or pertaining to the point of attachment; (of embryo) embryo occupies one end of the seed , with laterallateral: (of embryo) embryo lies along the side of the seed, generally towards one end; of, at, or from the side; in grasses, can refer to the sides adjacent to the dorsal and ventral sides cotyledon
Nutritive tissuenutritive tissue: tissue within the seeds that nourishes the developing embryo; such as endosperm, perisperm, or chalazosperm in angiosperms; megagametophyte in gymnosperms	endosperm endosperm: nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds copious

Distribution

Pantropical.

Distribution map courtesy of Angiosperm Phylogeny Website.

References

Baskin and Baskin 2021Baskin and Baskin 2021:
Baskin C and Baskin J. 2021. Relationship of the lateral embryo (in grasses) to other monocot embryos: A status up-grade. Seed Science Research 31 (3): 199-210. doi:10.1017/S0960258521000209; Carter 1962Carter 1962:
Carter S. 1962. Taccaceae. In: Milne-Redhead E and Hubbard CE, eds. Flora of Tropical East Africa. Vol 177. Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations, London UK. 3 pp.; Dahlgren et al. 1985Dahlgren et al. 1985:
Dahlgren RMT, Clifford HT, and Yeo PF. 1985. The families of the monocotyledons: structure, evolution, and taxonomy. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. 520 pp.; Flora of Australia 2021+Flora of Australia 2021+:
Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. Accessed January-May 2021. URL: http://www.ausflora.org.au; 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 2020ndash;January 2022. URL: https://nt.ars-grin.gov/seedsfruits/keys/frsdfam/index.cfm .; Kubitzki et al. 1990+Kubitzki et al. 1990+:
Kubitzki K et al., eds. 1990+. The families and genera of vascular plants. 7+ vols. Berlin etc.; Stevenson and Loconte 1995Stevenson and Loconte 1995:
Stevenson DW and Loconte H. 1995. A cladistic analysis of monocot families. In: Rudall PJ, Cribb PJ, Cutler DF, and Humphries CJ, eds. Monocotyledons: Systematics and Evolution. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.; Takhtajan 2009Takhtajan 2009:
Takhtajan A. 2009. Flowering plants: Second edition. Springer Nature, Switzerland. 871 pp.; Watson and Dallwitz 1992+Watson and Dallwitz 1992+:
Watson L and Dallwitz MJ. 1992+. The families of flowering plants: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval. Version: 6th Accessed September 2020-September 2022. URL: delta-intkey.com; Zhengyi et al. 2004+Zhengyi et al. 2004+:
Zhengyi W, Raven PH, and Deyuan H. 2004+. Flora of China [online]. 25 vols. Science Press, Beijing China amp; Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis USA. Accessed January-December 2021. http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

*The number of genera and species is based on Christenhusz and Byng 2016Christenhusz and Byng 2016:
Christenhusz MJM and Byng JW. 2016. The number of known plant species in the world and its annual increase. Phytotaxa 261 (3): 201ndash;217. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1, which may differ from the number of genera in GRIN-Global.