Annual, prostrate, tomentose herbs with sympodial stems with lysigenous mucilage ducts in the pith
Leaves alternate, toothed or pinnately lobed or pinnatifid; stipules wanting from most leaves, present on some
Flowers bisexual, regular, solitary or in pairs on axillary pedicels, ± epigynous
Perianth: tube (receptacle, hypanthium) distinct but sometimes short, enlarged and woody in fruit; lobes 5, valvate, sometimes alternating with epicalyx lobes
Petals 5, free, distinct, imbricate or convolute
Stamens 10, in 2 series, free on slightly prolonged hypanthium; filaments filiform; anthers tetrasporangiate and 2-thecous with unique bipolar pollen with 3 or 4 pores at each end
Gynoecium of (3)5-10 carpels united to form a compound, ± inferior, plurilocular ovary, immersed in perianth tube; ovules solitary in each locule, apical-axile, pendulous, anatropous (apotropous), bitegmic, crassinucellar; styles distinct, persistent, becoming indurated; stigmas capitate
Fruit indehiscent, dry, few-seeded, spiny and/or with winged margin formed from accrescent perianth lobes
Seed without endosperm, germinating in hypanthium; cotyledons flat
Nomenclature:
Neuradaceae
Link: 97 (1831)
Endlicher: 1249 (1840) as Rosaceae suborder Neuradaceae
Focke: 1 (1894) as Rosaceae
Schulze-Menz: 218 (1964) as Neuradaceae
Friedrich-Holzhammer: 1 (1968)
Cronquist: 577 (1981)
Reveal: 119 (1992)
Mabberley: 488 (1997)
Distribution & Notes:
Global: Genera 3, species ± 10; 2 genera restricted to semi-arid regions of southern Africa, 1 genus in N Africa and across the Middle East to India
Southern Africa: Genera 2, species ± 9. The presence of Neurada L. (Dyer 1975) could not be confirmed
References:
CRONQUIST, A. 1981. Neuradaceae. An integrated system of classification of flowering plants. Columbia University Press, New York
DYER, R.A. 1975. The genera of southern African flowering plants, Vol. 1. Botanical Research Institute, Pretoria
ENDLICHER, S.L. 1840. Rosaceae suborder Neuradaceae. Genera plantarum secundum ordines naturales disposita 2. Beck, Vienna
FOCKE, W.O. 1894. Rosaceae. Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien 3,3
FRIEDRICH-HOLZHAMMER, M. 1968. Neuradaceae. Prodromus einer Flora von Südwestafrika 56
LINK, J.H.F. 1831. Handbuch zur Erkennung der nutzbarsten und am häufigsten vorkommenden Gewächse 2. Berlin
MABBERLEY, D.J. 1997. The plant-book, edn 2. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
REVEAL, J.L. 1992. Proposal to conserve Neuradaceae. Taxon 41
SCHULZE-MENZ, G.K. 1964. Neuradaceae. In H. Melchior, Engler's Syllabus der Pflanzenfamilien, edn 12. Borntraeger, Berlin
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