Tofieldiaceae

Taxonomy

Family name: Tofieldiaceae Takht.

Synonym(s): Nartheciaceae Fr. ex Bjurzon subfam. Tofieldioideae; Nartheciaceae Fr. ex Bjurzon tr. Tofieldieae

Common name(s): false asphodel family

*Number of genera/species: 4/28

List of genera records in GRIN-Global

Disseminule

seed

Description

Fruit dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
, septicidalsepticidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally by separating between the septa of adjacent carpels
capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels
, simplesimple:
fruit formed from a single flower with one pistil, solitary carpel or several fused carpels
or aggregateaggregate:
fruit formed from a single flower with carpels several and distinct
(attached at the base), 2–10 mm long, globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
to triangulartriangular:
2D shape—three relatively straight sides with distinct corners; more angular than teardrop-shaped
, 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 sepalssepals:
a member of the outer envelope of a flower (calyx)
and stylesstyles:
in a flower, the narrow and elongated part of the pistil between the stigma and the ovary; sometimes persisting in fruit
, many seeded, seeds packed obliquely. Pericarppericarp:
fruit wall or fruit coat
yellow, leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
or chartaceouschartaceous:
=papery, papyraceous
, ribbedribbed:
surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface
.

Seed linearlinear:
(shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide
or fusiformfusiform:
spindle-shaped; broadest at the middle and tapering at both ends
, 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
, 0.6–3 mm long, with or without appendages. Pericarppericarp:
fruit wall or fruit coat
red, reddish-brown or white. Pleea seeds have a long filiform appendage on one end and a short appendage on the other. Tofieldia seeds have a long filiform appendage at one end, short and broad appendages on both ends, or without any appendages. Harperocallis seeds may be dark red with a white decurrent appendage (South American species) or pale yellow with short appendages at both ends (Harperocallis flava). Seeds in H. flava may be straight or curvedcurved:
(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart
to twisted.

Embryo small. Endospermendosperm:
nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds
copious.

Identification features

Fruit
Type	capsulecapsule: a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels
Size range	2–10 mm long
Shape(s)	oblong, ellipsoidellipsoid: 3D shape—elliptic , globoseglobose: 3D shape—more or less spherical , ovoidovoid: 3D shape—ovate , trigonous
Texture	chartaceous, leathery
Surface relief	ribbedribbed: surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface
Color(s)	yellow
Unique features	Yellow, ribbedribbed: surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface capsulescapsules: a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels , many seeded with seeds packed obliquely.
Seed
Size range	0.6–3 mm long
Shape(s)	linear, fusiform
Surface relief	unknown
Color(s)	red, reddish brown, white
Unique features	Red or white, elongate seeds, usually with terminal appendages.
Other
Embryo	small
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

Scattered throughout the north temperate regions, Northern South America.

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.; Flora of North America Editorial Committee 1993+Flora of North America Editorial Committee 1993+:
Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico [Online]. 22+ vols. Flora of North America Association, New York and Oxford. Accessed January-March 2024. URL: http://beta.floranorthamerica.org.; 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.; Takhtajan 2009Takhtajan 2009:
Takhtajan A. 2009. Flowering plants: Second edition. Springer Nature, Switzerland. 871 pp.; Tutin et al. 1964–1980Tutin et al. 1964–1980:
Tutin TG, Burges NA, Chater AO, Edmondson JR, Heywood VH, Moore DM, Valentine DH, Walters SM, and Webb DA (eds.) 1964–1980. Flora Europaea. 5 vols. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK. 2,524 pp.; 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.