e-Key v3 - *Scleranthus
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Interactive keys to the identification of seed plants of southern Africa using keys based on plant morphology.

Caryophyllaceae - Alsinoideae - Sclerantheae - *Scleranthus L.

Description :

  • Erect or decumbent annual herbs, low, rigid, much, dichotomously branched; stems angled, with a single line of reversed hairs
  • Leaves opposite, subulate, pungent, expanding into membranous, connate bases; stipules 0
  • Inflorescences axillary or terminal, few-flowered cymes or flowers solitary; bracts leaf-like
  • Flowers bisexual, perigynous, sessile, very small, green
  • Calyx : tube campanulate, herbaceous when young, becoming crustaceous with age; lobes 5
  • Petals 0
  • Stamens 5, arising in throat of calyx tube; filaments subulate
  • Ovary ovoid, 1-locular; ovule 1(2), pendulous from a basal funicle; styles 2, free, filiform, erect
  • Fruit a nutlet enclosed by enlarged and indurated wall of perigynous zone and persistent, hardened calyx tube and crowned by persistent calyx lobes
  • Seed 1, subglobose to horseshoe-shaped, smooth; embryo curved, peripheral; endosperm abundant
  • x = 11 (12) (polyploidy)

Nomenclature:

  • *Scleranthus L.
    • Linnaeus: 406 (1753)
    • Linnaeus: 190 (1754)
    • Brown: 412 (1810)
    • Candolle: 378 (1828)
    • Hooker: 19 (1880)
    • Pax: 92 (1889)
    • Baker & Wright: 13 (1909)
    • Pax & Hoffmann: 336 (1934)
    • Adamson: 394 (1950)
    • Sell: 148 (1964)
    • Henderson & Anderson: 136 (1966)
    • Meikle: 285 (1977)
    • Friedrich: 941 (1979)
    • Bittrich: 229 (1993)

Distribution & Notes:

  • Global : Species ± 10, temperate Eurasia, Mediterranean, Ethiopia, Australasia
  • Southern Africa : Species 1, naturalised: * Scleranthus annuus L., introduced from Europe, before the end of 19th century, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern, Western and Eastern Cape
    • It is a troublesome weed in wheat and lucerne lands and has been suspected of causing poisoning in sheep

References:

  • ADAMSON, R.S. 1950. Caryophyllaceae . In R.S. Adamson & T.M. Salter, Flora of the Cape Peninsula . Juta, Cape Town
  • BAKER, J.G. & WRIGHT, C.H. 1909. Illecebraceae . Flora of tropical Africa 6,1
  • BITTRICH, V. 1993. Caryophyllaceae . In K. Kubitzki, J.G. Rohwer & V. Bittrich, The families and genera of vascular plants - dicotyledons 2. Springer-Verlag, Berlin
  • BROWN, R. 1810. Chenopodeae Decand. Prodromus florae novae Hollandiae et Insulae van-Diemen 1. Johnson & Co., London
  • CANDOLLE, A.-P. DE. 1828. Paronychieae . Prodromus 3. Treuttel & Würtz, Paris
  • FRIEDRICH, H.C. 1979. Caryophyllaceae . In G. Hegi, Illustrierte Flora von Mitteleuropa , edn 2; 3,2
  • HENDERSON, M.D. & ANDERSON, J.G. 1966. Common weeds in South Africa. Memoirs of the Botanical Survey of South Africa No. 37
  • HOOKER, J.D. 1880. Illecebraceae . In G. Bentham & J.D. Hooker, Genera plantarum 3,1. Lovell Reeve & Co., London
  • LINNAEUS, C. 1753. Species plantarum . Laurentius Salvius, Stockholm
  • LINNAEUS, C. 1754. Genera plantarum , edn 5. Laurentius Salvius, Stockholm
  • MEIKLE, R.D. 1977. Caryophyllaceae . Flora of Cyprus 1
  • PAX, F. 1889. Caryophyllaceae . Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien 3,1b
  • PAX, F. & HOFFMANN, K. 1934. Caryophyllaceae . Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien II,16c
  • SELL, P.D. 1964. Caryophyllaceae . Subfamily Alsinoideae . Scleranthus . Flora europaea 1