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Bruniaceae

Bruniaceae R. Br. ex DC., Prodr. 2: 43 (1825), nom. cons.

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Flowering Plants. Eudicots

Part of the book series: The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants ((FAMILIES GENERA,volume 14))

Abstract

Decumbent to erect shrubs or small trees. Leaves alternate, densely set, sessile or shortly petiolate, small, simple, linear to lanceolate, subterete, mostly sclerophyllous, persistent, with brownish mucro-like tip; stipules minute when present; trichomes uniseriate, non-glandular. Inflorescences spike- or head-like when present, terminal or lateral, solitary or in compound clusters. Flowers in inflorescences or solitary on bracteate short-shoots or leafy shoots, mostly small, white, pinkish or yellowish, bisexual, actinomorphic, mainly pentamerous, tetracyclic, mostly (half-)epigynous; sepals (4)5, imbricate, calyx tube often adnate to ovary; petals (4)5, free, imbricate, distinct, sometimes clawed, with conspicuous swellings; androecium haplostemonous, stamens (4)5, filaments free or sometimes adnate to the petals, equal or rarely unequal; anthers dithecal, tetrasporangiate, dorsifixed, versatile in tribe Brunieae, introrse, dehiscing longitudinally; carpels (1)2(–5), stylodia usually 2, simple or bifid, stigmas usually minute; gynoecium coenocarpous, ovaries usually (half-)inferior, (1)2(–5)-locular; gynoecial nectaries of the mesenchymatous type, ovules (1)2–4(–12) in each locule, weakly crassinucellate, unitegmic, anatropous. Fruits mainly dry and 1-seeded, dehiscent or indehiscent. Seeds small, occasionally arillate; endosperm often fleshy; embryo straight, very small.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    A proposal to conserve the name Berzelia Brongn. (1826, Bruniaceae) over Berzelia Mart. (1825, Amaranthaceae) will be submitted to the ICBN committee by E.G.H. Oliver.

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Acknowledgement

I thank Gillan Scott, Constantia, for her assistance in writing the chapter ‘Phytochemistry’, and the editors of the International Journal of Plant Sciences and Opera Botanica Belgica for permission to reuse figures already published in these journals.

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  1. Institut für Spezielle Botanik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Mainz, Germany

    R. Claßen-Bockhoff

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  1. Johannes Gutenberg, Universität Mainz, Mainz, Germany

    Joachim W. Kadereit

  2. Campinas, Brazil

    Volker Bittrich

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Claßen-Bockhoff, R. (2016). Bruniaceae. In: Kadereit, J., Bittrich, V. (eds) Flowering Plants. Eudicots. The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants, vol 14. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28534-4_6

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