Annual or perennial herbs, undershrubs, shrubs or trees, often aquatic or semi-aquatic
Leaves
opposite-decussate, sometimes whorled, spirally arranged or alternate, simple, entire; stipules (0)2-10 or more
Flowers
bisexual, usually regular, homo-, di- or trimorphic, 4-6-merous, solitary (
Rotala
and
Heimia
) or variously arranged in lax or condensed, sessile or pedunculate cymes often subtended by enlarged folded bracts (
Nesaea
), or flowers in much-branched panicles (
Galpinia
)
Calyx
lobed; tube shallow, campanulate or cylindrical; lobes valvate, often with minute to long-cornate appendages alternating with lobes
Petals
0 or as many as calyx lobes, free, arising near or on rim of calyx tube, alternating with calyx lobes, membranous and usually caducous, narrowing towards base, often crumpled in bud, white, pink, purple, yellow or deep orange
Stamens
arising near base of calyx tube, fewer, equal to or twice as many as calyx lobes, if twice as many then of two different lengths; anthers 2-thecous, dorsifixed
Ovary
superior, incompletely (1)2-6-locular; ovules many, axile or on septa; style simple, sometimes very short; stigma capitate or acute (
Galpinia
)
Fruit
a capsule, dehiscence varied
Nomenclature:
Lythraceae
Schlechtendal: 346 (1827)
Sonder: 514 (1862) under
Lythrariae
Koehne: 241 (1903)
Pohnert & Roessler: 1 (1966)
Webb: 301 (1968)
Fernandes: 276 (1978)
Cook: 9 (1979)
Fernandes: 7 (1980)
Immelman: 35 (1991)
Graham et al.: 435 (1998)
Distribution & Notes:
Global
: Genera 25, species 550, ± cosmopolitan, mainly in warm regions; many aquatic or marsh-loving species
Southern Africa
: Genera 6 (4 indigenous, 2 exotic), species 44
References:
COOK, C.D.K. 1979. Revision of the genus
Rotala
.
Boissiera
29
FERNANDES, A. 1978.
Lythraceae
.
Flora zambesiaca
4
FERNANDES, A. 1980.
Nesaea
Commers. ex Juss.
Flora de Moçambique
73
GRAHAM, S.A., THORNE, R.F. & REVEAL, J.L. 1998. Validation of subfamily names in
Lythraceae
.
Taxon
47
IMMELMAN, K.L. 1991. Synopsis of the genera
Nesaea
and
Ammannia
(
Lythraceae
) in southern Africa.
Bothalia
21
KOEHNE, E. 1903.
Heimia
.
Das Pflanzenreich
Heft 17
POHNERT, H. & ROESSLER, H. 1966.
Lythraceae
.
Prodromus einer Flora von Südwestafrika
95
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