Description:

• Annual, biennial or perennial herbs, or subshrubs; stems erect, decumbent, sometimes ascending; sometimes polygamous
• Leaves alternate or fasciculate, simple, herbaceous, lobed to pinnatipartite, entire; stipules small, glandular
• Inflorescences terminal spikes or racemes, bracteate
• Flowers bisexual or unisexual, strongly irregular
• Sepals 4-6, ± valvate, free or often ± connate towards base, usually unequal, persistent or deciduous
• Petals mostly 2-6, sometimes 0, often unequal, small, usually deciduous, laciniate, often with a membranous appendage at base of limb, free to partly fused
• Disc sometimes present, often dilated on adaxial side
• Stamens (2)3-20(-50), sometimes abortive, perigynous or arising on disc, often declinate, free or monadelphous at base, not covered by petals in bud; filaments free or connate at base; anthers versatile, 2-thecous, introrse, dehiscing longitudinally
• Ovary superior, 1-locular, of 2-5 connate carpels usually open at apex; ovules many, arising on parietal placentas or at base of ovary; stigmas sessile
• Fruit an open or closed capsule, cylindrical to globose, indehiscent, rarely baccate or with free follicles
• Seeds many, ± reniform to ovoid or subglobose, papillose, rugulose or smooth; endosperm almost 0, but perisperm present; embryo curved

Nomenclature:

• Resedaceae
  • Gray: 665 (1821)
  • Mueller Argoviensis: 1 (1857)
  • Hooker: 110 (1862)
  • Mueller Argoviensis: 548 (1868)
  • Hellwig: 236 (1891)
  • Bolle: 659 (1936)
  • Bullock: 28 (1958)
  • Abdallah: 1 (1967)
  • Abdallah & De Wit: 99 (1978)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Genera 6, species ± 80, mainly in Mediterranean region, extending from Europe to Asia, India, SW United States, Mexico, Arabian Peninsula to NW India, arid parts of south tropical and southern Africa
• Southern Africa: Genera 2 (1 exotic), species 3 (1 exotic)

References:

• ABDALLAH, M.S. 1967. The Resedaceae. A taxonomical revision of the family. Mededelingen Landbouwhogeschool Wageningen, Nederland 67-8
• ABDALLAH, M.S. & DE WIT, H.C.D. 1978. The Resedaceae. A taxonomical revision of the family. Mededelingen Landbouwhogeschool Wageningen, Nederland 78-14
• BOLLE, F. 1936. Resedaceae. Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien, edn 2,17b
• BULLOCK, A.A. 1958. Indicis nominum familiarum Angiospermarum prodromus. Taxon 7
• GRAY, S.F. 1821. Resedaceae. A natural arrangement of British plants 2. Baldwin, London
• HELLWIG, F. 1891. Resedaceae. Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien 3,2
• HOOKER, J.D. 1862. Resedaceae. In G. Bentham & J.D. Hooker, Genera plantarum 1. Lovell Reeve & Co., London
• MUELLER ARGOVIENSIS, J. 1857. Monographie de la famille des Résédacées. Kessman, Geneva
• MUELLER ARGOVIENSIS, J. 1868. Resedaceae. In A. de Candolle, Prodromus 16,2. Masson & Sons, Paris

Resources:

• Key to Resedaceae genera

• Resedaceae genera: