Cephalotaceae

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

Cephalotaceae Dumortier

Common name: Australian Pitcher-plant Family.

Number of genera: 1 genus.

Number of species (Mabberley 1997): 1 species (Cephalotus follicularis Labill.).

Disseminule

Fruit (dehisced), or seed.

Description

Fruits: Pistil(s) simplesimple:
fruit formed from a single flower with one pistil, solitary carpel or several fused carpels
; 1; 1-pistillate. Fruit pericarpium, or anthocarpanthocarp:
simple or compound and including some tissue of non-ovarian origin (accessory tissue)
; multiplemultiple:
fruit formed from several flowers clustered in one mass
; follicetum; without persistent central column; within accessory organ(s); within hypanthium; accrescentaccrescent:
growing continuously
; evanescent (not falling with folliclesfollicle:
a dry to (rarely) fleshy fruit derived from a single carpel that opens along a single longitudinal suture, derived from a single, superior, simple ovary; the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa
, therefore this may not be the best answer); with hypanthium folliclesfollicle:
a dry to (rarely) fleshy fruit derived from a single carpel that opens along a single longitudinal suture, derived from a single, superior, simple ovary; the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa
(= follicetum); 1-seeded, or more than 1 but less than 10-seeded; 1(–2)-seeded; 2 cm long; with 6-carpellate (& topped by more or less circinately recurved stylestyle:
in a flower, the narrow and elongated part of the pistil between the stigma and the ovary; sometimes persisting in fruit
); with carpels separate; with carpels separating only at apexapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ
at maturity; with carpels not radiating at maturity; without sterilesterile:
lacking male and/or female reproductive parts; also, not producing fruit or seed
carpels; apexapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ
not beaked; wall hard; 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 seed(s). Dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
regularly; passively (assumed); at apexapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ
; 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
durable; not glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
(with hairs); hairs not glandularglandular:
surface relief—covered with small, raised secretory glands, regular or irregularly shaped, translucent or opaque, and maybe distinctly colored
; without armature; smooth; 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. 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
; thinthin:
having or being of relatively little depth
; 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 hooks (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 minute; straight; 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
absent. Testatesta:
seed coat
present; without 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; loose; 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; 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; membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
; not becoming mucilaginousmucilaginous:
resembling mucilage; moist and sticky
when wetted; surrounding embryo. Rapheraphe:
a ridge or seam on the seed coat, formed by the portion of the funiculus united to the ovule wall in longitudinally curved ovules
conspicuous; texture as testatesta:
seed coat
(lateral & slender); included in dehisced fruit. 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; without starch; with oils; 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); 0.5 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; foliatefoliate:
appearing leaf-like
; with spatulatespatulate:
2D shape—like a spatula; rounded at the apex, with base long and tapered; (of embryo) embryo is straight and axile and centric with the cotyledons expanded to form the shape of a spatula or spoon; (of cotyledons) cotyledons expanded and wider than the stalk but not invested into the stalk
cotyledons; straight; parallel to seed length; with cotyledons abruptly connected to hypocotyl-radicle; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; without stomata; not green; with 2 or more cotyledons. Cotyledons 2; tiny; 0.6–0.8 times length of embryo; somewhat to significantly wider than hypocotyl-radicle; 2 times wider than hypocotyl-radicle; not concealing hypocotyl-radicle; not foliaceous; flat; smooth; with apicesapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ
entire; with margins separate; basally cordatecordate:
2D shape—heart-shaped, with attachment at or near the broad end (compare obcordate)
; equal in size; not punctatepunctate:
surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted
dotted. Hypocotyl-radicle moderately developed; straight; not thickened.

Distribution

General distribution: Old World.

Detailed distribution: Asia Southeastern.

Notes

Our characters use "folliclefollicle:
a dry to (rarely) fleshy fruit derived from a single carpel that opens along a single longitudinal suture, derived from a single, superior, simple ovary; the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa
" in 2 places, when in this case the correct word should be "follicetum". Spjut's "follicetum" (and under family discussion) noted that "follicle follicle:
a dry to (rarely) fleshy fruit derived from a single carpel that opens along a single longitudinal suture, derived from a single, superior, simple ovary; the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa
s falling free from the hypanthium, opening only at the apexapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ
". Therefore, the we score fruit as both a folliclefollicle:
a dry to (rarely) fleshy fruit derived from a single carpel that opens along a single longitudinal suture, derived from a single, superior, simple ovary; the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa
and a follicetum. Cronquist: "folliclar, hairy, collectively surrounded at the base by the accrescentaccrescent:
growing continuously
hypanthium"; or achenesachene:
a dry, indehiscent, one-seeded fruit, with seed attached to pericarp at a single point, derived from a single, superior, simple or compound, one-loculed ovary
detaching circularly near their bases, which is composed of a simplesimple:
fruit formed from a single flower with one pistil, solitary carpel or several fused carpels
membrane; thicky hairy externally.

References

General references: 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. & C.A. Ritchie. 1988. Identification of disseminulesdisseminule:
detachable plant part capable of being disseminated and of propagating, commonly a seed or fruit
listed in the Federal Noxious Weed Act. Techn. Bull. U.S.D.A. 1719:1–313, 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.