Roridulaceae

Abstract

Perennial insect-trapping evergreen woody shrubs from a taproot with limited lateral root development; stems perennial, erect and few-branched. Leaves alternate, crowded apically, linear to tapering, exstipulate, margins entire or with short lateral linear lobes, with insect-trapping stalked glands. Flowers in terminal, few-flowered botryoids, hermaphroditic, medium-sized and showy; calyx and corolla 5-merous, well developed; perianth actinomorphic, free, rotate, bright purple, reddish pink or white; petals imbricate in bud; stamens 5, opposite the sepals; anthers hypogynous; filaments free, filiform; anthers sub-basifixed, 2-thecate, 4sporangiate, introrse, incurved in bud, subtended by a basal swelling containing a nectariferous cavity, irritable and swinging up when touched at anthesis to become erect, dehiscing by four short apical pores or slits; gynoecium of three united carpels; ovary superior, 3-locular with axile placentation; ovules anatropous, unitegmic, solitary or 2–4 per locule; style terminal, tapering with a small capitate stigma or expanding terminally with an obconical stigma, papillate, erect. Fruit a smooth loculicidal, 3-valved cartilaginous capsule. Seeds exotestal, small, ellipsoid and smoothly reticulate or angular-trilete and prominently warty or honeycomb-sculptured, dark reddish-brown; endosperm copious; embryo linear.