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

Commelinaceae - Commelinoideae - Commelineae - Murdannia Royle

Description :

  • Annual or perennial herbs; roots various
  • Leaves spirally arranged or distichous, blade sessile
  • Inflorescence terminal, or terminal and axillary thyrses or axillary fascicles; bracteoles persistent or soon falling
  • Flowers bisexual and male, regular or slightly irregular; pedicellate
  • Sepals free, ± equal, sepaline
  • Petals free, not clawed, blue, purple or white (rarely yellow)
  • Stamens 2 or 3, fertile, antesepalous, sometimes one staminodal; filaments bearded or glabrous
  • Staminodes (0-)3(4), antepetalous (when 4, one antesepalous), filaments bearded or glabrous
  • Ovary 3-locular; ovules one to many per locule
  • Fruit a 3-valved capsule, 3-locular
  • Seeds uniseriate or biseriate; hilum punctiform to linear; embryotega lateral to dorsal
  • x = 10 (6, 8)

Nomenclature:

  • Murdannia Royle
    • Royle: 403, t. 95, fig. 3 (1839)
    • Brenan: 179 (1952)
    • Schreiber: 11 (1967)
    • Obermeyer & Faden: 47 (1985)

Distribution & Notes:

  • Global : Species ± 50, pantropical and warm temperate, with greatest diversity in tropical Asia
  • Southern Africa : Species 1: Murdannia simplex (Vahl) Brenan, Namibia (Caprivi), N Botswana, Mpumalanga, Swaziland and KwaZulu-Natal

References:

  • BRENAN, J.P.M. 1952. Notes on African Commelinaceae . Kew Bulletin 7
  • OBERMEYER, A.A. & FADEN, R.B. 1985. Commelinaceae . Flora of southern Africa 4
  • ROYLE, J.F. 1839. Illustrations of the botany of the Himalayan mountains . W.H. Alland & Co., London
  • SCHREIBER, A. 1967. Prodromus einer Flora von Südwestafrika 157