| | Family guide for fruits and seeds |
Synonyms: Circaeaceae Bercht. & J. Presl; Epilobiaceae Vent.; Jussiaeaceae Martinov; Oenotheraceae C. C. Robin
Common name: Evening-primrose Family.
Number of genera 16. Number of species 650.
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 pericarpium; simple, or schizocarp; berry (Fuchsia), or carcerulus (Guara, Circaea), or capsule; coccarium; loculicidal capsule, or septicidal capsule (Ludwegia); capsule not inflated; capsule without operculum; berry indehiscent; berry without central placental mass; without persistent central column, or with persistent central column; with styles(s); at apex; not within accessory organ(s); 1-seeded to many-seeded; 1-seeded (to many); (2–)4(–6)-carpellate (really 4(2–6)); with carpels united; with carpels remaining united at maturity; with carpels not radiating at maturity; without sterile carpels; not sulcate; in transection terete; indehiscent, or dehiscent. Dehiscent unit seed(s). Dehiscent regularly; passively (assumed); at apex (occasionally); and shedding seeds; without replum. Epicarp shiny, or dull; durable; glabrous (without hairs), or not glabrous (with hairs); hairs short; hairs scattered; hairs not glandular; without armature; smooth; without wing(s), or with wing(s); 4-winged (at least); with wing(s) lateral; without apical respiratory hole. Mesocarp absent, or present; fleshy; 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; an arillike structure. Arillike structure falling with seed a chalaza (& hairy Epilobium). Seed minute to larger than minute; less than 1 mm long to 1 to less than 5 mm long; 0.7–2.7 mm long; irregular, or angular, or mitaform, or oblong, or straight; in transection terete, or compressed; not 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 absent. Testa present; without markedly different marginal tissue; without fleshy or leathery layer over hard layer; tight, or loose; surface unsmooth, or smooth; surface with discreet raised features, or merged raised features; surface papillate, or tuberculate, or warted; surface reticulate, or ribbed, or rugose, or striate (long); without crease or line separating cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle, or with 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; with hairs along margin, or tuft of hairs at one end (coma) (Epilobium); with long hairs; without glandular pubescence; without wings, or with wing(s); 2–4-winged; with wing(s) solid, or fimbriate; with solid wing(s) similar to testa; without collar; without operculum; colored; monochrome; brown (all shades), or yellow (-brown); crustaceous, or thin, or membranous; not becoming mucilaginous when wetted; surrounding embryo, or surrounding food reserve. Hilum punctate. Raphe conspicuous, or inconspicuous; fringed (Clarkia). Endosperm development nuclear; scant.
Embryo differentiated from food reserve; well developed; 1 per seed; 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; foliate, or linear; with investing cotyledons, or spatulate cotyledons; straight, or bent (or nearly so); 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; without stomata; not green; with 2 or more cotyledons. Cotyledons 2; well developed; 0.5–0.9 times length of embryo; as wide as hypocotyl-radicle, or somewhat to significantly wider than hypocotyl-radicle; partially concealing hypocotyl-radicle, or entirely concealing hypocotyl-radicle; thin (assumed); flat, or convoluted (rarely); smooth; with apices cleft; with margins adhering; basally entire, or cordate (auriculate); equal in size; not punctate dotted. Hypocotyl-radicle well developed, or moderately developed; straight; not thickened.
Distribution
Pansubtropical and pantemperate. 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: California (CA), Hawaii (HI), Massachusetts (MA), New Hampshire (NH), North Carolina (NC), Puerto Rico (PR), South Carolina (SC), Washington (WA).
USA state and territory noxious weeds: -- Epilobium hirsutum L.: USA state noxious weed: MAª, NHª, WAª. -- Gaura coccinea Pursh: USA state noxious weed: CA●. -- Gaura drummondii (Spach) Torr. & A. Gray: USA state noxious weed: CA●. -- Gaura sinuata Nutt. ex Ser.: USA state noxious weed: CA●. -- Gaura spp.: USA state noxious weed: HI°. -- Ludwigia alternifolia L.: USA state noxious weed: PRª●. -- Ludwigia hexapetala (Hook. & Arn.) Zardini et al.: USA state noxious weed: NCª, SCª, WAª. -- Ludwigia peploides (Kunth) P. H. Raven: USA state noxious weed: WAª.-- Ludwigia peruviana (L.) H. Hara: USA state noxious weed: CAª. -- Ludwigia repens J. R. Forst.: USA state noxious weed: PRª. -- Ludwigia spp.: USA state noxious weed: PRª●. -- Symbols: ªaquatic weed; ●terrestrial weed; °weed in seed. -- Last updated September 2008.
Listed seeds
ASOA listed seeds, ISTA listed seeds.
ASOA listed seeds: -- Boisduvalia densiflora (Lindl.) S. Watson = Epilobium densiflorum (Lindl.) Hoch & P. H. Raven -- Boisduvalia stricta (A. Gray) Greene = Epilobium torreyi (S. Watson) Hoch & P. H. Raven -- Camissonia cheiranthifolia subsp. cheiranthifolia (Hornem. ex Spreng.) Raim. -- Chamerion angustifolium (L.) Holub. subsp. angustifolium-- Clarkia amoena (Lehm.) A. Nelson & J. F. Macbr. -- Clarkia bottae (Spach) F. H. Lewis & M. R. Lewis -- Clarkia concinna (Fisch. & C. A. Mey.) Greene -- Clarkia unguiculata Lindl. -- Epilobium angustifolium L. = Chamerion angustifolium (L.) Holub. subsp. angustifolium-- Epilobium brachycarpum C. Presl -- Epilobium densiflorum (Lindl.) Hoch & P. H. Raven -- Epilobium paniculatum Nutt. ex Torr. & A. Gray = Epilobium brachycarpum C. Presl -- Epilobium L. spp. -- Epilobium torreyi (S. Watson) Hoch & P. H. Raven -- Fuchsia L. spp. -- Gaura drummondii (Spach) Torr. & A. Gray -- Gaura odorata auct. = Gaura drummondii (Spach) Torr. & A. Gray -- Gaura parviflora Lehm. -- Gaura sinuata Nutt. ex Ser. -- Gaura L. spp. -- Gaura villosa Torr. -- Ludwigia alternifolia L. -- Oenothera albicaulis Pursh -- Oenothera argillicola Mack. -- Oenothera biennis L. -- Oenothera cespitosa Nutt. ["Oenothera caespitosa Nutt."] -- Oenothera canescens Torr. & Frem. -- Oenothera cheiranthifolia Hornem. ex Spreng. = Camissonia cheiranthifolia subsp. cheiranthifolia (Hornem. ex Spreng.) Raim. -- Oenothera coronopifolia Torr. & A. Gray -- Oenothera elata subsp. hookeri (Torr. & A. Gray) W. Dietr. & W. L. Wagner -- Oenothera flava (A. Nelson) Garrett -- Oenothera glazioviana Micheli -- Oenothera hookeri Torr. & A. Gray = Oenothera elata subsp. hookeri (Torr. & A. Gray) W. Dietr. & W. L. Wagner -- Oenothera laciniata Hill -- Oenothera lamarckiana auct. = Oenothera glazioviana Micheli -- Oenothera macrocarpa Nutt. -- Oenothera missouriensis Sims = Oenothera macrocarpa Nutt. -- Oenothera pallida Lindl. -- Oenothera parodiana Munz -- Oenothera speciosa Nutt. -- Oenothera L. spp. -- Oenothera villosa Thunb. -- Stenosiphon linifolius (Nutt.) Heynh. -- Last updated September 2008.
ISTA listed seeds: -- Clarkia amoena (Lehm.) A. Nelson & J. F. Macbr.f -- Clarkia elegans Douglas ex Lindl., non Poiret = Clarkia unguiculata Lindl. -- Clarkia pulchella Purshf -- Clarkia unguiculata Lindl.f -- Fuchsia magellanica Lam.w -- Gaura coccinea Purshw -- Gaura drummondii (Spach) Torr. & A. Grayw -- Gaura odorata auct., non Sesse ex Lag. = Gaura drummondii (Spach) Torr. & A. Gray -- Gaura sinuata Nutt. ex Ser.w -- Gaura villosa Torr.w -- Godetia amoena (Lehm.) G. Don = Clarkia amoena (Lehm.) A. Nelson & J. F. Macbr. -- Godetia grandiflora Lindl. included in Clarkia amoena (Lehm.) A. Nelson & J. F. Macbr. -- Oenothera biennis L.a -- Oenothera macrocarpa Nutt.f -- Oenothera missouriensis Sims = Oenothera macrocarpa Nutt.f -- Oenothera rosea L'Her. ex Aitonw -- 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
Calylophus Spach -- Camissonia Link -- Circaea L. -- Clarkia Pursh -- Epilobium L. -- Fuchsia L. -- Gaura L. -- Gayophytum A. Juss. -- Gongylocarpus Schltdl. & Cham. -- Hauya DC. -- Lopezia Cav. -- Ludwigia L. -- Megacorax Elizondo et al. -- Oenothera L. -- Stenosiphon Spach -- Xylonagra Donn. Sm. & Rose
References specific to this family
Cronquist page 645. Seavey, S.R., R.E. Magill, & P.H. Raven. 1977. Evolution of seed size, shape, and surface architecture in tribe Epilobeae (Onagraceae). Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 64:18–47.
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. 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], 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, Spjut, R.W. 1994. A systematic treatment of fruit types. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 70:1–182, Wood, C.E., Jr. 1974. A student's atlas of flowering plants: Some dicotyledons of eastern North America, 120 pp. Harper and Row, New York.
Illustrations
Acceptable F& poor seed illustrations. Disseminule illustration(s): fruit, or seed, or embryo. Fruit illustration(s): LeMaout & Decaisne, Baillon, Engler & Prantl, Cronquist, Wood, Jr. Seed illustration(s): Seavey et al. (1977), Gunn & Ritchie, Wood, Jr., Cronquist, Engler & Prantl, Baillon, LeMaout & Decaisne. Embryo illustration(s): Wood, Gunn & Ritchie, Corner, Engler & Prantl, Baillon, LeMaout & Decaisne.
• Seed. 1 of 26. Epilobium angustifolium L.: seed. • Seed. 2 of 26. Epilobium angustifolium L.: seed. • Seed. 3 of 26. Epilobium angustifolium L.: seed. • Seed. 4 of 26. Epilobium parviflorum Schreb.: seed with coma. • Seed. 5 of 26. Epilobium parviflorum Schreb.: seeds without coma. • Fruit. 6 of 26. Gaura parviflora Lehm.: fruits. • Seed. 7 of 26. Gaura parviflora Lehm.: seed. • Seed. 8 of 26. Ludwigia decurrens Walter: seeds. • Fruit. 9 of 26. Oenothera tetraptera Cav.: fruit. • Seed. 10 of 26. Oenothera tetraptera Cav.: seeds. • Embryo. 11 of 26. Oenothera albicaulis Pursh: embryo. • Embryo. 12 of 26. Epilobium densiflorum (Lindl.) Hoch & P. H. Raven: embryo. • Embryo. 13 of 26. Calylophus tubicula (A. Gray) Raven: embryo. • Embryo. 14 of 26. Epilobium ciliatum Raf.: embryo. • Embryo. 15 of 26. Epilobium ciliatum Raf. subsp. ciliatum: embryo. • Embryo. 16 of 26. Fuchsia procumbens R. Cunn. ex A. Cunn.: embryo. • Embryo. 17 of 26. Gongylocarpus rubricaulis Schlect. & Cham.: embryo. • Embryo. 18 of 26. Hauya elegans DC.: embryo. • Embryo. 19 of 26. Jussiaea suffruticosa L.: embryo. • Embryo. 20 of 26. Lopezia racemosa Cav.: embryo. • Embryo. 21 of 26. Ludwigia alterifolia L.: embryo. • Embryo. 22 of 26. Oenothera macrocarpa Nutt.: embryo. • Embryo. 23 of 26. Oenothera caespitosa Nutt.: embryo. • Embryo. 24 of 26. Oenothera linifolia Nutt.: embryo. • Embryo. 25 of 26. Stenosiphon linifolius (Nutt.) Heynh: embryo. • Embryo. 26 of 26. Xylonagra arborea (Kell.) Donn-Smith& Rose: 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’.
