Stylidiaceae

Stylidium spec., Illustration.

The Stylidiaceae are a plant family in the order of the aster -like ( Asterales ). You have a disjoint area: Firstly, from Southeast Asia to New Zealand, on the other southern South America.

Description

There are often perennial herbaceous plants. The simple leaves are sessile. Stipules are not available. The ovary is inferior. They form seed capsules with 4 to 100 seeds. The characteristics of the representatives of the subfamilies differ widely; please refer to the descriptions in the following section systematics.

Systematics and distribution with descriptions

The family is divided into two subfamilies and contains six genera with about 350 species:

• Subfamily Donatioideae (some authors it has the rank of a separate family Donatiaceae ). It contains only two species in a genus with disjunktem area (New Zealand, Tasmania and southern South America). They grow in the cold to temperate zones. They are small, perennial herbaceous plants, form the solid pad with up to 1 meter in diameter. In small rosettes sit sessile, simple leaves. The single, terminally standing, sessile flowers are radial symmetry to slightly zygomorphic and hermaphroditic. They consist of three to seven free sepals, five to ten free sepals, two to three free stamens, two to three carpels and two to three styluses. Donatia J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.

• Subfamily Stylidioideae: Dissemination focus is Australia, the species of the subfamily are found beyond in Southeast Asia, on the Malay Archipelago and southern South America. They are mostly herbaceous perennial plants, either rosette plants or climbing plants. In some species the leaves are reduced to scales and photosynthesis is also taken from the stems. The species are hermaphroditic, monoecious, polygamomonözisch, or dioecious. The flowers are zygomorphic. The (two to ) five ( or seven ) sepals are fused or free. The petals are fused. The two carpels are fused into an ovary. The only two stamens are the (only one per flower) grown stylus ( gynostemium ) and the anthers are close to the scar. When a pollinator touches the gynostemium, it moves. Pollination is by insects ( entomophily ). With five genera and about 240 species: Shot plants ( Stylidium ) Sw. ex Willd. (over 300 species).
• Forstera L. F. ( five species)
• Levenhookia R.Br. (ten species)
• Oreostylidium Berggr. ( sort of)
• Phyllachne J.R.Forst. & G.Forst. ( four species)

Swell

• The Stylidiaceae family in APWebsite (English )
• Description of the family in the Western Australian flora. (English )