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Synonyms: Ammanniaceae Horan.; Blattiaceae Engl.; Duabangaceae Takht.; Lagerstroemiaceae J. Agardh; Lawsoniaceae J. Agardh; Punicaceae Bercht. & J. Presl, nom. cons.; Salicariaceae Juss., nom. illeg.; Sonneratiaceae Engl., nom. cons.
Common name: Loosestrife Family.
Number of genera 31 (including Punica, Duabanga, Sonneratia). Number of species 589 (including 2 spp. of Punica & 7 spp. of Duabanga & Sonneratia).
Angiosperm. Magnoliopsida.
Disseminule a dehisced fruit, or an intact or entire fruit, or a seed.
Fruits
Pistil(s) compound; 1; 1-pistillate; with carpels united. Fruit anthocarp, or pericarpium; simple; bilomentum, or capsule, or carcerulus (Lawsonia); denticidal capsule, or fissuricidal capsule, or foraminicidal capsule, or septifragal capsule, or loculicidal capsule (Decodon of authors, but not Spjut); capsule not inflated; capsule without operculum; simple; balausta (Punica Spjut Fig. 13A-B & only family), or glans (Sonneratia); without persistent central column; valves not diverging at top of central column; crowned by sepals, or style (Dubanga, Sonneratia); not within accessory organ(s), or within accessory organ(s); within sepals (Punica), or hypanthium and calyx (Duabanga, Sonneratia); persistent; with hypanthium berries; with hypanthium wall distinct from fruit wall; 1-seeded to many-seeded; 1-seeded (-many); (1–)20-carpellate; with carpels united; with carpels remaining united at maturity; with carpels not radiating at maturity; with carpels remaining connected at style; without sterile carpels; not sulcate; in transection terete; apex not beaked, or beaked; apex short beaked; wall membranaceous, or fleshy, or leathery, or woody; dehiscent, or indehiscent. Dehiscent unit seed(s). Dehiscent regularly, or irregularly; and shedding seeds; without replum. Epicarp brown (all shades), or green; dull; durable; leathery, or rindlike; glabrous (without hairs); without armature; smooth; without wing(s); without apical respiratory hole. Mesocarp present, or absent; fleshy; composed of 1 unified layer; without lactiform cavity system. Endocarp present, or absent; not separating from exocarp; thin, or thick, or woody, or spongy (Punica); not splitting into 1-seeded pyrenes; smooth; without wing; without operculum; without secretory cavities; without mechanism for seedling escape; without grooves; without longitudinal ridges. Funiculus short; short without seed bearing hooks (retinacula); not persisting in fruit after seed shed.
Seeds
Aril absent. Seed minute to larger than minute; less than 1 mm long to 10 to less than 25 mm long; 1–17 mm long; angular, or J-shaped, or cuneate, or falcate, or obovate, or pyriform, or irregular, or oblong, or ovate, or triangular, or fusiform (Duabanga); in transection flattened, or compressed, or triangular; not bowl shaped; not nutlike; without winglike beak; Dubanga without caudate appendage(s), or with caudate appendage(s); at maturity with food reserves, or without food reserves, or without apparent food reserves; with endosperm; without canavanine. Sarcotesta absent, or present (Punica & enlarged, watery, translucent); fleshy. Testa present; without markedly different marginal tissue, or with markedly different marginal tissue; marginal tissue winglike; without fleshy or leathery layer over hard layer, or with fleshy or leathery layer over hard layer; loose, or tight; dull; surface smooth, or unsmooth; surface with merged raised features; surface ribbed, or reticulate, or striate, or wrinkled; without crease or line separating cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle; without notch along margin where cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle tip approach each other, or with notch along margin where cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle tip approaching each other; without glands; without bristles; glabrous, or pubescent (Woodfordia); with hairs over surface; without glandular pubescence; without wings, or with wing(s); 1-winged; with wing encompassing seed (Lafaensia), or wing on one side (Lagerstroemia); with solid wing(s) similar to testa; without collar; without operculum; colored; monochrome; brown (all shades), or red; coriaceous, or thin, or hard; not becoming mucilaginous when wetted; surrounding embryo, or surrounding food reserve (rarely). Hilum larger than punctate; basal, or marginal. Raphe conspicuous (to winglike in Lagerstroemia). Endosperm development nuclear; scant; without fatty acid containing cyclopropene; without apical lobes; without chlorophyll; without isodiametric faceted surface; without odor.
Embryo differentiated from food reserve; well developed; 1 per seed; completely filling testa (no food reserve), or nearly filling testa (trace or scanty food reserve); chamber central to wings; 1 times the length of food reserve; at one end of seed not extending into a depression or cup; axile and centric; foliate, or conical; with spatulate cotyledons, or investing cotyledons; straight, or bent, or J-shaped; parallel to seed length; with cotyledons abruptly connected to hypocotyl-radicle, or gradually connected to hypocotyl-radicle; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; with cotyledons containing oils and punicic acid (Punica); without stomata; not green; with 2 or more cotyledons. Cotyledons 2; well developed, or moderately developed; 0.4–0.8 times length of embryo; somewhat to significantly wider than hypocotyl-radicle, or as wide as hypocotyl-radicle; 1–2 times wider than hypocotyl-radicle; partially concealing hypocotyl-radicle, or not concealing hypocotyl-radicle; foliaceous, or not foliaceous; thin; flat, or controtiplicate, or convoluted, or twice-folded (in larger seeds); smooth; with apices entire; with margins separate; basally entire, or cordate; equal in size; not punctate dotted. Hypocotyl-radicle moderately developed to well developed; straight; not thickened.
Distribution
Cosmopolitan. New World, Old World. North America, Middle America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia Major, Asia Minor, southeastern Asia, Australia, Oceania.
Weed information
1 or more USA state noxious weeds.
USA states and territories with listed noxious weeds: Alabama (AL), Arizona (AZ), Arkansas (AR), California (CA), Colorado (CO), Connecticut (CT), Florida (FL), Idaho (ID), Illinois (IL), Indiana (IN), Iowa (IA), Maine (ME), Massachusetts (MA), Michigan (MI), Minnesota (MN), Missouri (MO), Montana (MT), Nebraska (NE), Nevada (NV), New Hampshire (NH), New Mexico (NM), North Carolina (NC), North Dakota (ND), Ohio (OH), Oklahoma (OK), Oregon (OR), Pennsylvania (PA), South Carolina (SC), South Dakota (SD), Tennessee (TN), Texas (TX), Utah (UT), Vermont (VT), Virginia (VA), Washington (WA), Wisconsin (WI), Wyoming (WY).
USA state and territory noxious weeds: -- Lythrum salicaria L.: USA state noxious weed: ALª●, ARª●, CAª●, COª●°, CTª●, FLª, IAª, IDª●°, ILª●, MAª●, MNª●, MOª●, MTª●°, NDª●, NEª●°, NHª●°, NMª●, NVª●, OHª●°, OKª, ORª●, PAª●, SCª, SDª●, TNª●, TXª●, UT°, VAª●, VTª●°, WAª●, WIª●, WYª●°. -- Lythrum spp.: USA state noxious weed: INª●, MIª●, NC●. -- Lythrum virgatum L.: USA state noxious weed: CO°, IA●, MNª●, MTª●°, NDª●, NEª●, NVª●, SDª●, TNª●, WAª●. -- Symbols: ªaquatic weed; ●terrestrial weed; °weed in seed. -- Last updated September 2008.
Listed seeds
ASOA listed seeds, ISTA listed seeds.
ASOA listed seeds: -- Lythrum hyssopifolia L. -- Lythrum salicaria L. -- Lythrum L. spp. -- Last updated September 2008.
ISTA listed seeds: -- Ammannia baccifera L.w -- Cuphea ignea A. DC. -- Cuphea llavea Lex. -- Cuphea miniata Brongn. included in Cuphea llavea Lex. -- Lagerstroemia indica L. -- Lagerstroemia speciosa (L.) Pers. -- Lythrum salicaria L.w -- Punica granatum L. -- 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
Adenaria Kunth -- Ammannia L. -- Capuronia Lourteig -- Crenea Aubl. -- Cuphea P. Browne -- Decodon J. F. Gmel. -- Didiplis Raf. -- Diplusodon Pohl -- Duabanga Buch.-Ham. -- Galpinia N. E. Br. -- Ginoria Jacq. -- Haitia Urb. -- Heimia Link -- Hionanthera A. Fern. & Diniz -- Koehneria S. A. Graham et al. -- Lafoensia Vand. -- Lagerstroemia L. -- Lawsonia L. -- Lourtella S. A. Graham et al. -- Lythrum L. -- Nesaea Comm. ex Kunth, nom. cons. -- Pehria Sprague -- Pemphis J. R. Forst. & G. Forst. -- Peplis L. -- Physocalymma Pohl -- Pleurophora D. Don -- Punica L. -- Rotala L. -- Sonneratia L. f., nom. cons. -- Tetrataxis Hook. f. -- Woodfordia Salisb.
References specific to this family
Cronquist page 629 (including 643: Punicaceae & 628: Sonneratiaceae; also see Alzateaceae & Rhynchocalyaceae). Duke, N.C. & B.R. Jackes. 1987. A systematic revision of the mangrove genus Sonneratia (Sonneratiaceae) in Australasia. Blumea 32:277–302.
General references
Baillon, H.E. 1866–95. Histoire des plantes, 13 vols. Hachette and Co., Paris, Corner, E.J.H. 1976. The seeds of Dicots, esp. vol. 2. Cambridge University Press, New York, Cronquist, A. 1981. An integrated system of classification of flowering plants, 1,262 p. Columbia University Press, New York, Engler, A. 1900–1953. Das Pflanzenreich, nos. 1–107. Facsimile edition. Engelmann-Cramer, Weinheim, Engler, A. and K. Prantl. 1924 and onward. Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilimien. W. Engelman, Leipzig, Gaertner, J. 1788–1805. De fructibus et seminibus plantarum. The Author, Stuttgart, 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], Gray, A. 1848. Genera florae Americae boreali-orientalis illustrata, 2 vols. James Munroe and Co., Boston., 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, Mabberley, D.J. 1987. The plant-book, 706 p. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Martin, A.C. 1946. The comparative internal morphology of seeds. Amer. Midl. Naturalist 36:513–660, Spjut, R.W. 1994. A systematic treatment of fruit types. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 70:1–182.
Illustrations
Poor fruit and seed illustrations. Disseminule illustration(s): fruit, or seed, or embryo. Fruit illustration(s): Cronquist, LeMaout & Decaisne, Gray, Roosmalen, Engler & Prantl, Baillon, Duke & Jackes (1987). Seed illustration(s): Karen, NoxWeed, Engler & Prantl, Roosmalen, Gray, Cronquist, LeMaout & Decaisne, Baillon. Embryo illustration(s): Karen, NoxWeed, LeMaout & Decaisne, Gray, Engler & Prantl, Corner, Martin, Baillon. Karen's plate number and taxon (taxa): 195: Punica granatum L. (A-B) & 188: Duabanga sonneratioides Buch-Ham. (A-B), Sonneratia acida L. f. (C-D).
• Fruit. 1 of 23. Cuphea lanceolata Aiton: fruit with calyx. • Seed. 2 of 23. Cuphea lanceolata Aiton: seeds. • Seed. 3 of 23. Lafoensia punicifolia DC.: seed. • Fruit. 4 of 23. Lagerstroemia speciosa (L.) Pers.: dehisced fruit. • Seed. 5 of 23. Lagerstroemia speciosa (L.) Pers.: seeds. • Fruit and seed. 6 of 23. Lythrum alatum Pursh: fruit with calyx and seed. • Seed. 7 of 23. Sonneratia caseolaris (L.) Engl.: seeds. • Seed. 8 of 23. Punica granatum L.: seeds. • Embryo. 9 of 23. Adenaria floribunda Kunth: embryo. • Embryo. 10 of 23. Capuronia madagascariensis Lourteig: embryo. • Embryo. 11 of 23. Cuphea carthagenensis (Jacq.) J. F. Macbr.: embryo. • Embryo. 12 of 23. Decodon verticillatus (L.) Elliott: embryo. • Embryo. 13 of 23. Duabanga grandiflora (Roxb. ex DC.) Walp.: embryo. • Embryo. 14 of 23. Ginoria americana Jacq.: embryo. • Embryo. 15 of 23. Haitia pulchra Ekman & O. C. Schmidt: embryo. • Embryo. 16 of 23. Lafoensia sp.: embryo. • Embryo. 17 of 23. Heimia salicifolia (Kunth) Link: embryo. • Embryo. 18 of 23. Lythrium portula (L.) D. Webb: embryo. • Embryo. 19 of 23. Physocalymma scaberrimum Pohl: embryo. • Embryo. 20 of 23. Punica granatum L.: embryo. • Embryo. 21 of 23. Rotala ramosior (L.) Koehne: embryo. • Embryo. 22 of 23. Sonneratia caseolaris (L.) Engl.: embryo. • Embryo. 23 of 23. Woodfordia fruticosa (L.) Kurz: 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’.
