e-Key v3 - Hilleria
SANBI Flora Keys Logo
Interactive keys to the identification of seed plants of southern Africa using keys based on plant morphology.

Phytolaccaceae - Rivinoideae - Hilleria Vell.

Description :

  • Soft herbs, sometimes suffrutescent at base
  • Inflorescences terminal and axillary racemes
  • Flowers bisexual, irregular
  • Tepals 4, 1 sepal free, with the rounded median lobe the longer, accrescent, surrounding the fruit, becoming 3-nerved and sometimes brightly coloured, the lower 3 ± united to their middle
  • Stamens 4(-13)
  • Ovary of 1 carpel, globose and ± laterally compressed; style very short or 0, up to as long as ovary, tapered or capitate; stigma feathery or capitate
  • Fruit a utricle, discoidal, with a slightly toughened skin closely adhering to seed, reticulately nerved when dry
  • Seed similarly shaped, with brittle, black testa
  • x = 9 (1 report, polyploidy)

Nomenclature:

  • Hilleria Vell.
    • Vellozo: 47, t. 122 (1825)
    • Walter: 80 (1909)
    • Heimerl: 150 (1934)
    • Hutchinson: 438 (1959) in Petiveriaceae
    • Nowicke: 339 (1968)
    • Polhill: 4 (1971)
    • Hutchinson: 541 (1973)
    • Rohwer: 513 (1993)
  • Mohlana Mart.
    • Martius: 170, t. 290 (1832)

Distribution & Notes:

  • Global : Species 3-5, South America and tropical Africa, with 1: Hilleria latifolia (Lam.) H.Walter, widespread also in Africa, Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands
  • Southern Africa : One record in forest undergrowth at Umhlanga Rocks, KwaZulu-Natal; the distribution records suggest that it is indigenous in Africa

References:

  • HEIMERL, A. 1934. Phytolaccaceae . Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien , edn 2,16c
  • HUTCHINSON, J. 1959. Petiveriaceae . The families of flowering plants . Clarendon Press, Oxford
  • HUTCHINSON, J. 1973. Petiveriaceae . The families of flowering plants , edn 3. Clarendon Press, Oxford
  • MARTIUS, C.F.P. VON. 1832. Mohlana . Nova genera et species plantarum 3. Published by the author, München
  • NOWICKE, J.W. 1968. Palynotaxonomic study of the Phytolaccaceae . Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 55, 3
  • POLHILL, R.M. 1971. Flora tropical East Africa . Phytolaccaceae
  • ROHWER, J.G. 1993. Phytolaccaceae . In K. Kubitzki, J.G. Rohwer & V. Bittrich, The families and genera of vascular plants - dicotyledons 2. Springer-Verlag, Berlin
  • VELLOZO, J.M. DA C. 1825. Hilleria . Florae fluminensis . Typographia nationalis, Rio de Janeiro
  • WALTER, H. 1909. Phytolaccaceae . Das Pflanzenreich 4, 83 (Heft 39)

Copyright of the content hosted by this website remains with the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), unless stated otherwise.
Material from this site may be used in other media, provided that SANBI is acknowledged by the name South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) or refer to the ' How to cite this resource ' paragraph on the Home page.
Liability disclaimer: Visitors use this site at their own risk and SANBI is not liable for any of the consequences resulting therefrom.