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

Portulacaceae - *Calandrinia Kunth

Description :

  • Annual or perennial herbs with a basal leaf rosette, rarely with tuberous taproots, with unicellular trichomes; stems low and spreading to erect, simple to branched from base
  • Leaves linear to oblanceolate, alternate, usually coarsely but sparsely ciliate, otherwise glabrous; stipules 0
  • Flowers bisexual, solitary in axils of basal leaves or in monochasia resembling racemes with a single but ± lateral, herbaceous bract narrowing towards base at each flower
  • Sepals 2, often unequal, persistent, herbaceous
  • Petals 3-7, equalling sepals, usually deep crimson-purple to (rarely) white
  • Stamens (3-)5-15, shorter than petals
  • Ovary superior, usually 2- or 3-valved from top; styles 3 or 4, usually free
  • Fruit mostly a 3-valved, membranous capsule, with valves often very involute and spreading
  • Seeds 15-many, reniform-ovoid, shiny black; embryo encircling perisperm
  • x = 8 (10, 11, 23) (polyploidy)

Nomenclature:

  • *Calandrinia Kunth
    • Kunth: 77 (1823) name conserved
    • Fenzl: 951 (1839a)
    • Fenzl: 295 (1839b)
    • Bentham: 158 (1862)
    • Pax: 56 (1889)
    • McNeill: 727 (1974)
    • Carolin: 383 (1987)
    • Nyananyo: 239 (1990)
    • Carolin: 552 (1993)
    • Eliasson: 32 (1996)

Distribution & Notes:

  • Global : Calandrinia in strict sense: 12-15 species, North and South America
  • Southern Africa : Species 1, introduced: * Calandrinia ciliata (Ruiz & Pav.) DC., Western Cape

References:

  • BENTHAM, G. 1862. Portulaceae . In G. Bentham & J.D. Hooker, Genera plantarum 1. Lovell Reeve & Co., London
  • CAROLIN, R.C. 1987. A review of the family Portulacaceae . Australian Journal of Botany 35
  • CAROLIN, R.C. 1993. Portulacaceae . In K. Kubitzki, J.G. Rohwer & V. Bittrich, The families and genera of vascular plants - dicotyledons 2. Springer-Verlag, Berlin
  • ELIASSON, U.H. 1996. Portulacaceae . Flora of Ecuador 55
  • FENZL, E. 1839a. Ordo Portulacaceae . In S.L. Endlicher, Genera plantarum secundum ordines naturales disposita 2. Beck, Vienna
  • FENZL, E. 1839b. Supplement. Verbesserungen und Zusätze zur ersten Abtheilung der Monographie. Annalen des Wiener Museums der Naturgeschichte 2
  • KUNTH, C.S. 1823. Portulaceae . In A. de Humboldt, A. Bonpland & C.S. Kunth, Nova genera et species plantarum 6. Libraria Graeco-Latino-Germanica, Paris
  • MCNEILL, J. 1974. Synopsis of a revised classification of the Portulacaceae . Taxon 23
  • NYANANYO, B.L. 1990. Tribal and generic relationship in the Portulacaceae (CENTROSPERMAE). Feddes Repertorium 101
  • PAX, F. 1889. Portulacaceae . Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien 3,1b