Phyllanthaceae |
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See references Plants trees, shrubs, or herbs, a few being climbers or succulents, not producing latex, a few producing a resinous exudate; hairs, if present, usually simple, rarely branched or scale-like; usually unarmed. Leaves, if present, usually alternate, rarely opposite, in fascicles, or whorls, petiolate; petioles often with a basal pulvinus; blades usually simple, occasionally compound, almost always entire, occasionally toothed, with stipules, these sometimes falling before the leaf is mature. Inflorescences usually axillary, rarely terminal or below the leaves, in Uapaca forming a pseudanthium, a tight bundle of flowers resembling a single flower. Flowers radially symmetric, usually unisexual, the species being either monoecious or dioecious; sepals usually free; petals, if present, 4-6, ususally yellow to green, rarely pink or maroon; nectary disks often present, either angular or of distinct segments; stamens 3-10, rarely more, free or variously fused; ovaries superior, usially with 2-5 cells, sometimes as many as 15, with 1 or 2 ovules per cell, placentation apical; styles usually 2-lobed or bifid, sometimes entire, rarely mutifid, Fruits schizocarps, drupes, or berries, the schizocarps sometimes dehiscing explosively; seeds usually with striate, tuberculate, ridged, or otherwise roughened surfaces, without caruncles. The Phyllanthaceae family includes about 60 genera and 2,330 species. It is primarliy pantropical in its distribution but most numerous in Malesia and there are some temperate species. Its members used to be included in Euphorbiaceae. Vegetatively, most Phyllanthaceae are uniform with mainly alternate, simple, eglandular leaves with pinnate venation, entire margins, and simple hairs. Flowers are small and radially symmetric but display great diversity in shape, size and number of floral organs. References Fayed, A.A., M. Soliman, A. Faried, & M. Hassan (2019) Taxonomic evaluation of Euphorbiaceae sensu lato with special reference to Phyllanthaceae as a new family to the flora of Egypt. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 11(1): 47-64. Hoffman, P. H, Kathriarachchi, K.J.Wurdack (2006) A Phylogenetic Classification of Phyllanthaceae (Malpighiales; Euphorbiaceae sensu lato). Kew Bullet 61: 37-53. Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 14, July 2017 [and more or less continuously updated since]. Accessed 10 Jan 2021. Wikipedia (2021). Phyllanthaceae. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllanthaceae. Accessed 10 Jan 2021. The Phyllanthaceae are nearly all trees, shrubs, or herbs. A few are climbers, or succulents, and one species, Phyllanthus fluitans, is aquatic. Unlike many of the Euphorbiaceae, none has latex, and only a very few produce a resinous exudate. Any hairs, if present, are almost always simple. Rarely are they branched or scale-like. Thorns and other armament are rare. Stipules are produced with each leaf, but in some, these fall before the leaf is fully mature. Leaves are present, except for a few species of Phyllanthus that have flattened, leaflike stems called cladodes that bear flowers along their edges. The leaves are compound in Bischofia, but otherwise simple and usually alternate. Rarely are they opposite, in fascicles, or in whorls around the stem. The leaf margin is almost always entire, rarely toothed. A petiole is nearly always present, often with a pulvinus at its base. The inflorescences are usually in the axils of leaves, rarely below the leaves or at the ends of stems. In Uapaca, the flowers are in a pseudanthium, a tight bundle of flowers that resembles a single flower. Except for four species of Aporosa, the flowers are unisexual, the plants being either monoecious or dioecious. The flowers are actinomorphic in form. Detailed illustrations have been published for some of these.[12] The sepals are three to eight in number, usually free from each other. Petals may be absent or present. If present, there are usually four to six, and their color is yellow to green, or rarely, pink or maroon. A nectary disk is often present. It may be in the form of a ring, or divided into segments. The stamens are three to ten in number, or rarely more, free or variously fused. The ovary is superior. The number of locules in the ovary is highly variable, usually from two to five, but sometimes as many as fifteen. The placentation is apical, with a pair of ovules hanging by their funicles from the top of each locule.[15] Often, only one of the ovules will develop into a seed. A single, massive obturator may cover the micropyles of both ovules, or each ovule may have its own thin obturator. The megagametophyte is of the Polygonum type.[14] The style is usually 2-lobed or bifid, sometimes entire, or rarely multifid. The fruit is a schizocarp, drupe, or berry. In some, the schizocarp breaks up explosively. |
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