| | Family guide for fruits and seeds |
Common name: Moonseed Family.
Number of genera 71. Number of species 525.
Angiosperm. Magnoliopsida.
Disseminule an intact or entire fruit.
Fruits
Pistil(s) compound; 1 to more than 21; (1–)6(–30)-pistillate ((1-)3–6(-ca. 30)); with carpels nearly separate to base. Fruit pericarpium; multiple, or simple; drupe (of authors, but not Spjut); drupetum (Coscinium & Spjut Fig. 27C-D & 4 families: Amborellaceae, Menispermaceae, Rosaceae, Potomogetonaceae (Ruppiaceae).); without persistent central column; with styles(s); at base or nearly basal (often because of asymmetrical growth of carpel); not within accessory organ(s); 1-seeded; (1–)6(–30)-carpellate (really (1-)3–6(-30)); 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; indehiscent. Epicarp blue to black; shiny; durable; chartaceous; glabrous (without hairs), or not glabrous (with hairs); hairs long; hairs scattered; hairs not glandular; without armature; smooth; without wing(s); without apical respiratory hole. Mesocarp present; fleshy; composed of 1 unified layer; without lactiform cavity system; and endocarp sharply differentiated. Endocarp present; not separating from exocarp; bony; not splitting into 1-seeded pyrenes; not smooth; with sculptures (etc.); 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 larger than minute; C-shaped, or hippocrepiform; in transection compressed; not bowl shaped; not nutlike; without winglike beak; without caudate appendage(s); at maturity with food reserves, or without apparent food reserves; with endosperm; without canavanine. Sarcotesta absent. Testa present; without markedly different marginal tissue; without fleshy or leathery layer over hard layer; tight; surface unsmooth; surface with merged raised features; surface concentrically- ridged, or rugose; with crease or line separating cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle, or without crease or line separating cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle (correct/); with notch along margin where cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle tip approaching each other, or without notch along margin where cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle tip approach each other; without glands; without bristles; glabrous; without wings; without collar; without operculum; colored; monochrome; black and blue; thin, or membranous; not becoming mucilaginous when wetted; surrounding food reserve. Endosperm development nuclear; copious, or scant; fleshy; smooth, or ruminate; with oils and proteins; 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; partially filling testa (with food reserve), or nearly filling testa (trace or scanty food reserve), or completely filling testa (no food reserve); 1 times the length of food reserve; at one end of seed not extending into a depression or cup; axile and centric; linear, or foliate; with spatulate cotyledons; C-shaped, or arcuate, or J-shaped, or annular, or straight (Anomospermum); 90% annular, or 100% annular; parallel to seed length; embedded in endosperm; with cotyledons gradually connected to hypocotyl-radicle, or abruptly connected to hypocotyl-radicle; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; without stomata; not green; with 2 or more cotyledons. Cotyledons 2; well developed; divaricate, or not divaricate; 0.4–0.97 times length of embryo; as wide as hypocotyl-radicle, or somewhat to significantly wider than hypocotyl-radicle; not concealing hypocotyl-radicle; foliaceous, or not foliaceous; thin, or thick; flat, or twisted (Spirospermum); smooth; with apices entire; with margins separate; basally entire; equal in size; not punctate dotted. Hypocotyl-radicle well developed, or moderately developed, or small; curved, or coiled; 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
No USA noxious weeds.
Listed seeds
No ASOA or ISTA listed seeds.
Accepted genera
Abuta Aubl. -- Albertisia Becc. -- Anamirta Colebr. -- Anisocycla Baill. -- Anomospermum Miers -- Antizoma Miers -- Arcangelisia Becc. -- Aspidocarya Hook. f. & Thomson -- Beirnaertia Louis ex Troupin -- Borismene Barneby -- Burasaia Thouars -- Calycocarpum (Nutt. ex Torr. & A. Gray) Spach -- Carronia F. Muell. -- Caryomene Barneby & Krukoff -- Chasmanthera Hochst. -- Chlaenandra Miq. -- Chondrodendron Ruiz & Pav. -- Cionomene Krukoff -- Cissampelos L. -- Cocculus DC., nom. cons. -- Coscinium Colebr. -- Curarea Barneby & Krukoff -- Cyclea Arn. ex Wight -- Dialytheca Exell & Mendonça -- Dioscoreophyllum Engl. -- Diploclisia Miers -- Disciphania Eichler -- Elephantomene Barneby & Krukoff -- Eleutharrhena Forman -- Fibraurea Lour. -- Haematocarpus Miers -- Hyperbaena Miers ex Benth., nom. cons. -- Hypserpa Miers -- Jateorhiza Miers -- Kolobopetalum Engl. -- Legnephora Miers -- Leptoterantha Louis ex Troupin -- Limacia Lour. -- Limaciopsis Engl. -- Macrococculus Becc. -- Menispermum L. -- Odontocarya Miers -- Orthogynium Baill. -- Orthomene Barneby & Krukoff -- Pachygone Miers -- Parabaena Miers -- Penianthus Miers -- Pericampylus Miers, nom. cons. -- Platytinospora (Engl.) Diels -- Pleogyne Miers -- Pycnarrhena Miers ex Hook. f. & Thomson -- Rhaptonema Miers -- Rhigiocarya Miers -- Sarcolophium Troupin -- Sarcopetalum F. Muell. -- Sciadotenia Miers -- Sinomenium Diels -- Sphenocentrum Pierre -- Spirospermum Thouars -- Stephania Lour. -- Strychnopsis Baill. -- Synandropus A. C. Sm. -- Synclisia Benth. -- Syntriandrium Engl. -- Syrrheonema Miers -- Telitoxicum Moldenke -- Tiliacora Colebr., nom. cons. -- Tinomiscium Miers ex Hook. f. & Thomson -- Tinospora Miers, nom. cons. -- Triclisia Benth. -- Ungulipetalum Moldenke
References specific to this family
Cronquist page 133.
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, 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], Gunn, C.R. and J.V. Dennis. 1976. World guide to tropical drift seeds and fruits, 240 pp. The New York Times Book Co., New York, 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, 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, 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, Schopmeyer, C.S. 1974. Seeds of Woody plants in the United States. Agric. Handb. 450:1–883, 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, Roosmalen, Gunn & Ritchie. Seed illustration(s): Gunn & Ritchie, Cronquist, LeMaout & Decasine, Schopmeyer, Baillon. Embryo illustration(s): Gunn & Ritchie, LeMaout & Decaisne, Schopmeyer, Baillon, Martin.
• Fruit. 1 of 13. Anomospermum grandifolium Eichl.: fruit. • Seed. 2 of 13. Anomospermum grandifolium Eichl.: seed. • Fruit. 3 of 13. Arcangelisia flava (L.) Merr.: fruit. • Seed. 4 of 13. Arcangelisia flava (L.) Merr.: seeds. • Fruit. 5 of 13. Chondrodendron tomentosum Ruiz & Pav.: fruit. • Seed. 6 of 13. Chondrodendron tomentosum Ruiz & Pav.: seed. • Fruit. 7 of 13. Disciphania juliflora Barneby: fruits. • Fruit. 8 of 13. Fibraurea tinctoria Lour.: fruit. • Seed. 9 of 13. Menispermum dauricum DC.: seed. • Fruit. 10 of 13. Penianthus zenkeri (Engl.) Diels: fruit. • Fruit. 11 of 13. Penianthus zenkeri (Engl.) Diels: fruit with exocarp removed. • Seed. 12 of 13. Penianthus zenkeri (Engl.) Diels: seeds. • Embryo. 13 of 13. Cissampelos pareira L.: 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’.
