| | Family guide for fruits and seeds |
Synonyms: Arisaraceae Raf.; Caladiaceae Salisb.; Callaceae Rchb. ex Bartl.; Cryptocorynaceae J. Agardh; Dracontiaceae Salisb.; Orontiaceae Bartl.; Pistiaceae Rich. ex C. Agardh
Common name: Arum Family.
Number of genera 106. Number of species 2950.
Angiosperm. Liliopsida.
Disseminule a dehisced fruit, or an intact or entire fruit, or a seed.
Fruits
Pistil(s) more than 21; many. Fruit anthocarp, or pericarpium; simple, or multiple; berry, or capsule; baccetum, or syncarpium; foraminicidal capsule; capsule not inflated; capsule without operculum; berry indehiscent, or dehiscent (rarely basally Lagenandra or apically Monsteraeae by sloughing of stylar region); berry without central placental mass; compound; catoclesium (Typhonodorum), or sorosus (Syngonium, Symplocarpus); without persistent central column; not within accessory organ(s), or within accessory organ(s); within pedicel (Symplocarpus foetidus (L.) Salisb. ex W. P. C. Barton), or spathe tube (Thyphonodrum); 1-seeded to many-seeded; 1-seeded (-many); (2–)3(–15)-carpellate; with carpels united; with carpels remaining united at maturity; without sterile carpels; not sulcate; in transection terete; apex not beaked; dehiscent, or indehiscent. Dehiscent regularly, or irregularly; and shedding seeds; without replum. Epicarp red, or orange, or purple, or white, or yellow, or green, or blue, or brown (all shades); shiny (berry); durable; without armature; without wing(s); without apical respiratory hole. Mesocarp present, or absent; fleshy, or leathery; composed of 1 unified layer; without lactiform cavity system. Endocarp present, or absent; not separating from exocarp; thin; not splitting into 1-seeded pyrenes; without operculum; without secretory cavities; without longitudinal ridges. Funiculus short; short without seed bearing hooks (retinacula); not persisting in fruit after seed shed.
Seeds
Aril absent, or present (mostly Areae & Ambrosina); a true aril. Seed larger than minute; not bowl shaped, or bowl shaped; not nutlike; without winglike beak; without caudate appendage(s); at maturity with food reserves, or without food reserves, or without apparent food reserves; with endosperm; without canavanine. Sarcotesta present, or absent; fleshy. Testa present, or absent (Gymnostachys, Nephthytis or for Orontium decaying at maturity); without embryo surrounded and capped by viscid tissue; with fleshy or leathery layer over hard layer; tight; surface smooth, or unsmooth; surface with discreet raised features, or merged raised features; surface tuberculate, or verrucose; surface striate, or roughened, or ribbed, or ridged, or wrinkled, or rugose; without crease or line separating cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle; without notch along margin where cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle tip approach each other; without glands; without bristles; without wings; without collar; without operculum, or with operculum (Pistia); colored; monochrome; thin (with well-developed embryo (Gonatopus)), or thick; not becoming mucilaginous when wetted; surrounding embryo, or surrounding food reserve. Endosperm development cellular; copious, or trace; smooth; with starch, or without starch; with oils; without fatty acid containing cyclopropene; without apical lobes; with chlorophyll and green, or without chlorophyll; without isodiametric faceted surface; without odor.
Embryo undifferentiated from food reserve, or differentiated from food reserve; well developed; 1 per seed; partially filling testa (with food reserve); 0.7–0.8 times the length of food reserve (and smaller in Pistia); at one end of seed not extending into a depression or cup; axile and centric; linear; straight, or bent, or arcuate (and endosperm absent); without coleoptile; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; without stomata; not green; acotyledonous, or with 1 cotyledon. Cotyledons one and not modified into scutellum; not circinately coiled. Hypocotyl-radicle well developed; not thickened. Plumule moderately developed, or well developed; lateral and not fitting into groove along terminal cotyledon (sometimes with vestigial second cotyledon opposite principal cotyledon).
Distribution
Pantropical, pansubtropical, and pantemperate. New World, Old World. North America, Middle America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia Major, Asia Minor, southeastern Asia, Australia, Oceania.
Notes
What type of fruit dehisces and in what genus? Embryo 7–10 times longer than wide.
Weed information
1 or more USA state noxious weeds.
USA states and territories with listed noxious weeds: Alabama (AL), California (CA), Connecticut (CT), Florida (FL), Puerto Rico (PR), South Carolina (SC), Texas (TX).
USA state and territory noxious weeds: -- Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott: USA state noxious weed: PRª. -- Landoltia punctata (G. Mey.) Les & D. J. Crawford: USA state noxious weed: TXª. -- Lemna valdiviana Phil.: USA state noxious weed: PRª -- Orontium aquaticum L.: USA state noxious weed: PRª. -- Peltandra virginica (L.) Schott: USA state noxious weed: PRª. -- Pistia stratiotes L.: USA state noxious weed: ALª●, CAª, CTª, FLª, PRª, SCª, TXª. -- Spirodela polyrhiza (L.) Schleid.: USA state noxious weed: PRª. -- Symbols: ªaquatic weed; ●terrestrial weed; °weed in seed. -- Last updated September 2008.
Listed seeds
ISTA listed seeds.
ISTA listed seeds: -- Alocasia cucullata (Lour.) G. Don -- Alocasia macrorrhizos (L.) G. Don -- Amorphophallus campanulatus Decne. included in Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson-- Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson -- Caladium bicolor (Aiton) Vent. -- Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schottw -- Monstera deliciosa Liebm. -- Philodendron bipinnatifidum Schott ex Endl. -- Philodendron domesticum G. S. Bunting -- Philodendron lundii Warm. = Philodendron bipinnatifidum Schott ex Endl. -- Philodendron sagittifolium Liebm. -- Philodendron selloum K. Koch = Philodendron bipinnatifidum Schott ex Endl. -- Philodendron tuxtlanum G. S. Bunting = Philodendron sagittifolium Liebm. -- Pistia stratiotes L.w -- Typhonium trilobatum (L.) Schottw -- Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.) Schott -- Symbols: aagricultural and vegetable seeds (Table 2A Part 1); ttree and shrub species (Table 2A Part 2); fflower, spice, herb, and medicinal seeds (Table 2A Part 3); wweed seeds. -- Last updated September 2008.
Accepted genera
Aglaodorum Schott -- Aglaonema Schott -- Alloschemone Schott -- Alocasia (Schott) G. Don, nom. cons. -- Ambrosina Bassi -- Amorphophallus Blume ex Decne., nom. cons. -- Amydrium Schott -- Anadendrum Schott -- Anaphyllopsis A. Hay -- Anaphyllum Schott -- Anchomanes Schott -- Anthurium Schott -- Anubias Schott -- Aridarum Ridl. -- Ariopsis Nimmo -- Arisaema Mart. -- Arisarum Mill. -- Arophyton Jum. -- Arum L. -- Asterostigma Fisch. & C. A. Mey. -- Biarum Schott, nom. cons. -- Bognera Mayo & Nicolson -- Bucephalandra Schott -- Caladium Vent. -- Calla L. -- Callopsis Engl. -- Carlephyton Jum. -- Cercestis Schott -- Chlorospatha Engl. -- Colletogyne Buchet -- Colocasia Schott, nom. cons. -- Cryptocoryne Fisch. ex Wydler -- Culcasia P. Beauv., nom. cons. -- Cyrtosperma Griff. -- Dieffenbachia Schott -- Dracontioides Engl. -- Dracontium L. -- Dracunculus Mill. -- Eminium (Blume) Schott -- Epipremnum Schott -- Filarum Nicolson -- Furtadoa M. Hotta -- Gearum N. E. Br. -- Gonatopus Hook. f. ex Engl. -- Gorgonidium Schott -- Gymnostachys R. Br. -- Hapaline Schott, nom. cons. -- Helicodiceros Schott, nom. cons. -- Heteroaridarum M. Hotta -- Heteropsis Kunth -- Holochlamys Engl. -- Homalomena Schott -- Hottarum Bogner & Nicolson -- Jasarum G. S. Bunting -- Lagenandra Dalzell -- Lasia Lour. -- Lasimorpha Schott -- Lazarum A. Hay -- Lysichiton Schott -- Mangonia Schott -- Monstera Adans., nom. cons. -- Montrichardia Crueg., nom. cons. -- Nephthytis Schott -- Orontium L. -- Pedicellarum M. Hotta -- Peltandra Raf., nom. cons. -- Philodendron Schott, nom. cons. -- Phymatarum M. Hotta -- Pinellia Ten., nom. cons. -- Piptospatha N. E. Br. -- Pistia L. -- Podolasia N. E. Br. -- Pothoidium Schott -- Pothos L. -- Protarum Engl. -- Pseudodracontium N. E. Br. -- Pseudohydrosme Engl. -- Pycnospatha Thorel ex Gagnep. -- Remusatia Schott -- Rhaphidophora Hassk. -- Rhodospatha Poepp. -- Sauromatum Schott -- Scaphispatha Brongn. ex Schott -- Schismatoglottis Zoll. & Moritzi -- Scindapsus Schott -- Spathantheum Schott -- Spathicarpa Hook. -- Spathiphyllum Schott -- Stenospermation Schott -- Steudnera K. Koch -- Stylochaeton Lepr. -- Symplocarpus Salisb. ex W. P. C. Barton, nom. cons. -- Synandrospadix Engl. -- Syngonium Schott -- Taccarum Brongn. ex Schott -- Theriophonum Blume -- Typhonium Schott -- Typhonodorum Schott -- Ulearum Engl. -- Urospatha Schott -- Xanthosoma Schott -- Zamioculcas Schott -- Zantedeschia Spreng., nom. cons. -- Zomicarpa Schott -- Zomicarpella N. E. Br.
References specific to this family
Cronquist page 1096 (also see Acoraceae). Kulkarni, A.R., D. Dosi, & V.M. Manoj. 1990. Fruit and seed structure in Araceae. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci., Pl. Sci. 100:61–69; Mayo, S.J., J. Bogner, & P.C. Boyce. 1997. The genera of Araceae, 370 pp. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Seubert, E. 1993. Die Samen der Araceen. Koeltz Scientific Books, Koenigstein, Germany.
General references
Cronquist, A. 1981. An integrated system of classification of flowering plants, 1,262 p. Columbia University Press, New York, Goldberg, A. 1986 (dicots) and 1989 (monocots). Classification, evolution, and phylogeny of the familes of Dicotyledons. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 58 for dicots (314 pp.) and 71 for monocots (74 pp.). [Goldberg's illustrations are reproduced from older publications and these should be consulted], Gunn, C.R. and C.A. Ritchie. 1988. Identification of disseminules listed in the Federal Noxious Weed Act. Techn. Bull. U.S.D.A. 1719:1–313, Gunn, C.R., J.H. Wiersema, C.A. Ritchie, and J.H. Kirkbride, Jr. 1992 and amendments. Families and genera of Spermatophytes recognized by the Agricultural Research Service. Techn. Bull. U.S.D.A. 1796:1–500, LeMaout, E. and J. Decaisne. 1876. A general system of botany, 1,065 p. Longmans, Green, and Co., London, Martin, A.C. 1946. The comparative internal morphology of seeds. Amer. Midl. Naturalist 36:513–660, Roosmalen, M.G.M. van. 1985. Fruits of the Guianan flora, 483 pp. Institute of Systematic Botany, Wageningen Agricultural University. Drukkerij Veenman B.V., Wageningen, Spjut, R.W. 1994. A systematic treatment of fruit types. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 70:1–182.
Illustrations
Excellent seed illustrations. Disseminule illustration(s): fruit, or seed, or embryo. Fruit illustration(s): LeMaout & Decaisne, Gunn & Ritchie, Roosmalen. Seed illustration(s): Seubert (1993), Gunn & Ritchie, Le Maout & Decaisne. Embryo illustration(s): Seubert (1993), Martin, NoxWeed, LeMaout & Decaisne.
• Seed. 1 of 17. Aglaonema costatum N. E. Br.: seed. • Fruit. 2 of 17. Alocasia macrorrhizos (L.) G. Don: fruits. • Fruit. 3 of 17. Calla palustris L.: fruit and fruiting head. • Seed. 4 of 17. Calla palustris L.: seeds. • Fruit. 5 of 17. Cyrtosperma senegalense (Schott) Engl.: fruits. • Seed. 6 of 17. Cyrtosperma senegalense (Schott) Engl.: seed. • Seed. 7 of 17. Dracunculus vulgaris Schott: seeds. • Seed. 8 of 17. Gymnostachys anceps R. Br.: seed. • Seed. 9 of 17. Monstera deliciosa Liebm.: fruits. • Fruit and seed. 10 of 17. Pistia stratiotes L.: fruit and seeds. • Seed. 11 of 17. Pistia stratiotes L.: seeds. • Fruit. 12 of 17. Symplocarpus foetidus (L.) Salisb. ex W. P. C. Barton: fruiting heads. • Seed. 13 of 17. Symplocarpus foetidus (L.) Salisb. ex W. P. C. Barton: seed. • Fruit. 14 of 17. Zantedeschia aethiopica (L.) Spreng.: fruit. • Seed. 15 of 17. Zantedeschia aethiopica (L.) Spreng.: seeds. • Embryo. 16 of 17. Arum italicum Mill.: embryo. • Embryo. 17 of 17. Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Makino: embryo.
We advise against extracting comparative information from the descriptions. This is much more easily achieved using the DELTA data files or the interactive key, which allows access to the character list, illustrations, full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting or lacking specified attributes, and distributions of character states within any set of taxa. See also Guidelines for using data taken from Web publications.
Cite this publication as: ‘J.H. Kirkbride, Jr., C.R. Gunn, and M.J. Dallwitz. 2000 onwards. Family guide for fruits and seeds: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval. Version: 12th April 2021. delta-intkey.com’.
