Montiaceae

Montia parvifolia

The source herb plants ( Montiaceae ) are a family in the order of the clove -like ( Caryophyllales ) within the angiosperms. Some species are used as ornamental plants and a few species as food plants.

• 3.1 Outer systematics
• 3.2 Internal systematics

Description

Vegetative characteristics

There are annual to perennial herbaceous plants, some species are subshrubs ( Montiopsis ). Some species are more or less succulent (eg Lewisia ). The internodes are short. Secondary growth is present in small amount. In some species the roots and basal leaves are thickened. The leaves are often together in rosettes. The leaves often have a columnar comprehensive basis. The longitudinally arranged stomata are paracytisch. The waxes on the cuticle are present as adjacent platelets. All plant parts are smooth.

Generative features

The flowers are axillary individually or zymösen in terminal (often monochasialen ) inflorescences. There are four to five (up to nine ) kronblattartige bloom yet. There are three to 100 stamens present, which have grown more than at its base. The pollen grains are so tricolpate or pantoporat ( Montia ). Two to eight carpels are fused into a superior ovaries. In free central placentation four to seven ovules are present. It is formed a kind of fruit capsule.

The chromosome numbers be n = 6-13 or more. They contain betalains.

Dissemination

The family has a wide distribution, particularly in western North America and western South America, but also in the Caribbean, New Zealand and the subantarctic islands.

System

Outer systematics

Previously, these species were incorporated into the family of Portulakgewächse ( Portulacaceae ). Molecular biological studies have suggested that the family Montiaceae yields a monophyletic taxon. There only remains the genus purslane ( Portulaca ) in the resulting monophyletic family of Portulacaceae. ( Applequist et al., 2006 Nepokroeff et al. 2002, Nyffeler et al. 2008)

Within the order of the clove -like ( Caryophyllales ) the Montiaceae are closely related to the Didiereaceae, Cactaceae, Halophytaceae, Portulacaceae, Talinaceae and Basellaceae; these eight families can be summarized as subordination Portulacineae.

Inside systematics

The Montiaceae family includes the following 15 genera:

• Calandrinia Kunth: With at least 14 species; they occur in America
• Calyptridium Torr. & A. Gray
• Cistanthe Spach
• Dishes Herbs or Claytonien ( Claytonia L.): With about 27 species; they occur in North America and East Asia; two species are neophytes in Europe
• Hectorella Hook. f: with only one type: Hectorella caespitosa Hook. f; it occurs in New Zealand.

• Lenzia chamaepitys Phil; it occurs in Chile.

• Lewisiopsis tweedyi ( A. Gray ) Govaerts; it occurs in North America.

• Lyallia kerguelensis Hook. f; it occurs on the Kerguelen

• Schreiteria macrocarpa ( Speg. ) Carolin; it is found in Argentina

A synonym for Montiaceae Raf. is Hectorellaceae Philipson & Skipworth.

Swell

• The Montiaceae family in APWebsite ( section systematics)
• In DELTA in Portulacaceae included. (English )
• In the Flora of North America the species are listed in the family of Portulacaceae. (English )
• Wendy L. Applequist, Warren L. Wagner, Elizabeth A. Zimmer & Molly Nepokroeff: Molecular evidence resolving the systematic position of Hectorella ( Portulacaceae ), Systematic Botany, 31, 2006, pp. 310-319.
• Reto Nyffeler, Urs Eggli, Matt Ogburn & Erika Edwards: Variations On A Theme: Repeated Evolution Of Succulent Life Forms In the Portulacineae ( Caryophyllales ) in Haseltonia, 14, 2008, pp. 26-36: PDF Online.