Flagellariaceae

Taxonomy

Family name: Flagellariaceae Dumortier

Synonym(s): [none]

Common name(s): flagellaria family

*Number of genera/species: 1/4

List of genera records in GRIN-Global

Disseminule

fruit

Description

Fruit a drupe, 4–6 mm long, globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
to ovoidovoid:
3D shape—ovate
, tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
in transection, usually with one seed. Pericarppericarp:
fruit wall or fruit coat
black, red (pink), or white, fleshy or chartaceouschartaceous:
papery, papyraceous
, smooth.

Seeds globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
, tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
to compressedcompressed:
flattened; in grasses, used to denote compression (not necessarily flattened) either laterally or dorsiventrally
in transection, ellipsoidellipsoid:
3D shape—elliptic
hilum present. Seed coat shinyshiny:
uniformly reflecting a high proportion of incident light at all angles
or dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen
, crustaceouscrustaceous:
texture—thin, dry, indurate, and brittle
or membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
, wrinkledwrinkled:
surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out
.

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, broad to lenticularlenticular:
3D shape—lens-shaped; biconvex
, straight, basalbasal:
at or pertaining to the point of attachment; (of embryo) embryo occupies one end of the seed
.

Endosperm copious, mealymealy:
loose, dry, and disintegrating in finely granular pieces like meal or flour
.

Identification features

Fruit
Type	drupedrupe: (indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds, derived from single, superior, simple or compound ovary; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds
Size range	4–6 mm long
Shape(s)	globoseglobose: 3D shape—more or less spherical , ovoidovoid: 3D shape—ovate
Texture	fleshy, chartaceouschartaceous: papery, papyraceous
Surface relief	smooth
Color(s)	black, red, or white
Unique features	Small, fleshy red, black, or white drupesdrupe: (indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds, derived from single, superior, simple or compound ovary; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds usually single seeded.
Seed
Shape(s)	globoseglobose: 3D shape—more or less spherical
Surface relief	wrinkledwrinkled: surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out
Unique features	Globoseglobose: 3D shape—more or less spherical , wrinkledwrinkled: surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out seeds with 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 broad to lenticularlenticular: 3D shape—lens-shaped; biconvex embryos.
Other
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, broad to lenticularlenticular: 3D shape—lens-shaped; biconvex , straight, basalbasal: at or pertaining to the point of attachment; (of embryo) embryo occupies one end of the seed
Nutritive tissue	endosperm copious, mealymealy: loose, dry, and disintegrating in finely granular pieces like meal or flour

Distribution

Paleotropics, Pacific Islands.

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; 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.; Nooteboom et al. 2021+Nooteboom et al. 2021+:
Nooteboom HP, de Wilde WJJO, Stevens PF, Coode MJE, and Saw LG. 2021+ Flora Malesiana Online. Accessed January 2021–March 2024. URL: https://portal.cybertaxonomy.org/flora-malesiana/; Flora of Australia 2021+Flora of Australia 2021+:
Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. Accessed January 2021–March 2024. 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 2020-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.; Napper 1971aNapper 1971a:
Napper DM. 1971a. Flagellariaceae. In: Milne-Redhead E and Polhill RM, eds. Flora of Tropical East Africa. Vol 69. Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations, London UK. 3 pp.; 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.; Thiele and Adams 2014Thiele and Adams 2014:
Thiele KR and Adams LG. 2014. Families of Flowering Plants of Australia. Accessed January-December 2021. URL: https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/FFPA/key/FFPA/Media/Html/index.htm; 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 & Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis USA. Accessed January–March 2024. 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): 201-217. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1, which may differ from the number of genera in GRIN-Global.