Lennoaceae

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

Lennoaceae Solms-Lauback

Common name: Lennoa Family.

Number of genera: 2 genera.

Number of species (Mabberley 1997): 6 species.

Disseminule

Fruit (dehisced), or seed.

Description

Fruits: Pistil(s) compound; 1; 1-pistillate; with carpels united. Fruit pericarpium; simple; capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
; pyxidium capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
; capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
not inflated; capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
without operculumoperculum:
a dehiscent cap (or lid) of a seed or fruit that opens during germination or dehiscence
; without persistent central column; not within accessory organ(s), or within accessory organ(s) (See Airy Shaw); within calyxcalyx:
the outer whorl of the perianth; all the sepals of a flower
and corollacorolla:
the inner whorl(s) of the perianth; all the petals of a flower
; 10 to less than 25-seeded to 25 to less than 50-seeded; 12–28-seeded; less than 1 cm long; 0.3–0.4 cm long (in diameter); with 5–16-carpellate; with carpels united; with carpels remaining united at maturity; with carpels not radiating at maturity; without sterilesterile:
lacking male and/or female reproductive parts; also, not producing fruit or seed
carpels; sulcatesulcate:
surface relief—having one or more elongate, relatively narrow and shallow depressions or grooves
; in transection tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
; apexapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ
not beaked; wall fleshy (drying upon maturing); dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
. Dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
unit endocarp(s). Dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
regularly, or irregularly (to somewhat); passively; linearly; by circumscissilecircumscissile:
(~pyxis); type of capsular dehiscence, opens by a lid (splitting transversely)
slit; at middle; and shedding seeds; without replumreplum:
the rim, formed by the persistent placentas, and connected by a false septum in Brassicaceae fruits. The fruit valves are attached to this rim and separate from it in dehiscent fruits.
. Epicarpepicarp:
outer layer of fruit wall or pericarp, if divided into layers; note here used synonymously with exocarp
dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen
(assumed); durable; glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
; without armature; without wing(s); without apicalapical:
at or pertaining to the end of the seed or fruit distal from its point of attachment (i.e., base)
respiratory hole. Mesocarpmesocarp:
the middle layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers
absent. Endocarpendocarp:
the inner layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers
present; not separating from exocarpexocarp:
outer layer of fruit wall or pericarp, if divided into layers; note here used synonymously with epicarp
; thin; not splitting into 1-seeded pyrenes; smooth; without wing; without operculumoperculum:
a dehiscent cap (or lid) of a seed or fruit that opens during germination or dehiscence
; without secretory cavities; without mechanism for seedling escape; without grooves; without longitudinallongitudinal:
of or relating to length or the lengthwise dimension
ridges. Funiculusfuniculus:
(alt. funicle) stalk connecting the ovule (later seed) to the ovary (later fruit) placenta
short; short without seed bearing hookswith hooks:
bristles or spines with curved or backwards pointing tips, or with secondary bristles along their length
(retinacula); not persisting in fruit after seed shed.

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, or minute; less than 1 mm long to 1 to less than 5 mm long; 0.5–1 mm long; reniformreniform:
2D or 3D shape—kidney-shaped
(slightly), 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 transection 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 endosperm; without canavanine. Sarcotestasarcotesta:
pulpy or fleshy outer layer of the seed coat, simulates aril
absent. Testatesta:
seed coat
present; without markedly different marginalmarginal:
at, on, or close to the margin or border
tissue; without fleshy or leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
layer over hard layer; tight; dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen
; surface unsmooth; surface with depressed features, or discreet raised features, or merged raised features; surface punctatepunctate:
surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted
; surface papillatepapillate:
surface relief—bearing minute, distinct, broad-based projections, tapering to a rounded apex
(Pholisma); surface reticulatereticulate:
surface relief—netted, raised walls or concave grooves forming a net-like surface pattern with flat, concave, or convex interspaces
, or roughenedroughened:
texture—having a small, stout, stiff, more or less acute protrusions
; 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; glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
; without wings; without collar; without operculumoperculum:
a dehiscent cap (or lid) of a seed or fruit that opens during germination or dehiscence
; colored; monochrome; brown (all shades); not becoming mucilaginousmucilaginous:
resembling mucilage; moist and sticky
when wetted; surrounding food reserve. Endosperm development cellular; copious; 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; 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
; 1 per seed; partially filling testatesta:
seed coat
(with food reserve); at one end of seed not extending into a depression or cup; lenticularlenticular:
3D shape—lens-shaped; biconvex
, or globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
; parallel to seed length; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; without stomata; not green; acotyledonous. Hypocotyl-radicle undeveloped.

Distribution

General distribution: New World.

Detailed distribution: Southwestern USA North America to South America (to Venezuela & Colombia).

Notes

Drupaceous-capsular or fleshy capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
enclosed by persistent calyxcalyx:
the outer whorl of the perianth; all the sepals of a flower
or corollacorolla:
the inner whorl(s) of the perianth; all the petals of a flower
that dehisces 1-seeded stones enclosed by persistent calyxcalyx:
the outer whorl of the perianth; all the sepals of a flower
and corollacorolla:
the inner whorl(s) of the perianth; all the petals of a flower
. Yatskievych (1986): "Fruit slightly depressed capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
, somewhat fleshy, but drying at maturity; dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
circumscisslely by an irregular ring below middle of capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
(fig. 10)" - like Portulacca.

References

Literature specific to this family: Yatskievych, G. & C.T. Mason, Jr. 1986. A revision of the Lennoaceae. Syst. Bot. 11:531–548; Thackery, F.A. & M.F. Gilman. 1930. A rare parasitic food plant of the Southwest. Rep. (Annual) Board Regents Smithsonian Inst. 1930:409–416 + 9 plates; Yatskievych, G. 1985. Notes of the biology of the Lennoaceae. Cact. Succ. J. (Los Angeles) 57:73–79; Dressler, R.L. & J. Kuijt. 1968. A second species of Ammobroma (Lennoaceae) in Sinaloa, Mexico. Madroña 19:179–182.

General references: Airy Shaw, H.K. 1973. A dictionary of the flowering plants and ferns, 1,131 pp. University Press, Cambridge, 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, and Spjut, R.W. 1994. A systematic treatment of fruit types. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 70:1–182.