Fouquieriaceae

Abstract

Shrubs to small trees with woody or succulent trunks, bearing simple to branched, outwardly arched to horizontal, spinose, heteroblastic branches; periderm translucent, often exfoliating and associated with the persistent epidermis; stem cortex with peripheral groups of sclereids and assimilatory tissue and inner starch- and anastomosingly arranged water-storage tissue; nodal spines 2–45 mm long, subtended by tapering, continuous decurrent ridges laterally separated by distinct or shallow furrows, or by recurrent ridges widely separated; nodes unilacunar, 1-trace. Leaves alternate, simple, entire, exstipulate, petiolate to nearly sessile, glabrous or slightly pubescent below, those of long-shoots elliptical, long-petiolate; spines rigid, separating abaxially from petioles of long-shoot leaves and continuing into the decurrent ridges of the cortex; short-shoot leaves in axillary fascicles, shortly petiolate to nearly sessile. Inflorescence determinate, terminal or axillary, spicate, racemose to paniculate or corymbosely paniculate; flowers with 2 prophylls, hypogynous, perfect; sepals 5, distinct, strongly imbricate, quincuncial, persistent; petals 5, connate into a tube, lobes imbricate; stamens hypogynous, 10(−23), unevenly exserted; filaments slightly adnate to corolla base, occasionally with basal ligulate spur; anthers tetrasporangiate, introrse, acuminate at apex, 2-lobed at base, longitudinally dehiscent; gynoecium fused of 3 carpels; ovary superior, with septiform parietal but basally axile placentation; style in upper half usually branched into 3 style branches; ovules anatropous, bitegmic, 6–20. Fruit a loculicidal capsule with columnar, axile placentae; seeds 6–15, oblong-elliptical with membranous margins of unicellular trichomes; endosperm scanty, oily and proteinaceous; embryo 3–9 mm long; cotyledons flat. x = 12.