| | Family guide for fruits and seeds |
Synonyms: Amyridaceae Kunth; Aurantiaceae Juss.; Boroniaceae J. Agardh; Correaceae J. Agardh, nom. inval.; Cuspariaceae Tratt., nom. ileg.; Dictamnaceae Vest; Diosmaceae R. Br. ex Bartl.; Diplolaenaceae J. Agardh; Flindersiaceae C. T. White ex Airy Shaw; Fraxinellaceae Nees & Mart., nom. illeg.; Pilocarpaceae J. Agardh; Pteleaceae Kunth; Zanthoxylaceae Martinov
Common name: Rue Family.
Number of genera 158. Number of species 1650.
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, or schizocarp; amphisarcum, or samara, or hesperidium (Spjut Fig. 35D & 2 families: Nymphaeaceae, Rutaceae); coccarium (Spjut Fig. 22B); schizocarp; polachenarium; without persistent central column, or with persistent central column; not within accessory organ(s); (1–)5-carpellate (to many - (1–2-)4–5 50 many); with carpels united; with carpels remaining united at maturity; with carpels not radiating at maturity, or radiating at maturity; with carpels remaining connected at style; without sterile carpels; not sulcate; in transection terete, or flat; dehiscent, or indehiscent. Dehiscent unit seed(s). Dehiscent and shedding seeds; without replum. Epicarp brown (all shades), or orange, or white, or red; durable; glabrous (without hairs); with armature, or without armature; with spines; without armature glochidiate; smooth, or not smooth; glandular; without wing(s), or with wing(s); 1-winged; with wing(s) lateral; 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, or separating spontaneously from exocarp; thin, or crustaceous, or cartilaginous; 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 (Eriostemon spp., Pilocarpus, Xanthoxylum spp.); a true aril; red; vestigal; adnate to hilum; of funicular origin; hard (at least). Seed larger than minute; 1 to less than 5 mm long to 10 to less than 25 mm long; 3–23 mm long; ovate, or obovate, or oblong, or elliptic, or reniform; 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; dull, or shiny; surface smooth, or unsmooth; surface with depressed features, or discreet raised features, or merged raised features; surface pitted; surface granular, or verrucose; surface reticulate, or striate; 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; with hairs over surface; without glandular pubescence; without wings, or with wing(s); 1-winged; with wing encompassing seed; without collar; without operculum; colored; monochrome; brown (all shades), or black, or red, or white; thin, or membranous, or crustaceous (or spongy); not becoming mucilaginous when wetted, or becoming mucilaginous when wetted (or slimy). Raphe conspicuous, or inconspicuous; texture as testa; as long as seed. Endosperm development nuclear; copious; fleshy-soft, or fleshy, or hard (Porlieria); smooth; with oils; 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); chamber central to wings; 0.9–1 times the length of food reserve; at one end of seed not extending into a depression or cup; axile and centric; foliate, or linear; with spatulate cotyledons, or investing cotyledons; C-shaped, or straight (Dictamnus); parallel to seed length; embedded in endosperm; with cotyledons abruptly connected to hypocotyl-radicle, or gradually connected to hypocotyl-radicle; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; without stomata; green, or not green; with 2 or more cotyledons. Cotyledons 2; well developed, or moderately developed; 0.4–0.9 times length of embryo; as wide as hypocotyl-radicle, or somewhat to significantly wider than hypocotyl-radicle; 1–4 times wider than hypocotyl-radicle; not concealing hypocotyl-radicle, or partially concealing hypocotyl-radicle; not foliaceous; thin, or moderately thick, or thick; flat, or once-folded; smooth; with apices entire; with margins separate; basally entire, or cordate; equal in size, or unequal in size; not punctate dotted.
Distribution
Cosmopolitan (nearly). New World, Old World. North America, Middle America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia Major, Asia Minor, southeastern Asia, Australia, Oceania.
Notes
Goldberg: "Sometimes endocarp separates from epicarp". Helietta wings with abundant glandular dots between major veins or on attachment surface.
Weed information
1 or more USA state noxious weeds.
USA states and territories with listed noxious weeds: Massachusetts (MA).
USA state and territory noxious weeds: -- Phellodendron amurense Rupr.: USA state noxious weed: MA●. -- Symbols: ªaquatic weed; ●terrestrial weed; °weed in seed. -- Last updated September 2008.
Listed seeds
ASOA listed seeds, ISTA listed seeds.
ASOA listed seeds: -- Dictamnus albus L. -- Ruta graveolens L. -- Last updated September 2008.
ISTA listed seeds: -- Aegle marmelos (L.) Correa -- Chloroxylon swietenia DC. -- Citrus aurantiifolia (Christm.) Swingle -- Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. -- Citrus medica L. -- Citrus × paradisi Macfad. -- Citrus reticulata Blanco -- Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck -- Dictamnus albus L. -- Fortunella margarita (Lour.) Swingle -- Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng. -- Murraya paniculata (L.) Jack -- Ruta graveolens L.f -- Zanthoxylum flavum Vahl -- 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
Achuaria Gereau -- Acmadenia Bartl. & H. L. Wendl. -- Acradenia Kippist -- Acronychia J. R. Forst. & G. Forst., nom. cons. -- Adenandra Willd., nom. cons. -- Adiscanthus Ducke -- Aegle Corrêa, nom. cons. -- Aeglopsis Swingle -- Afraegle (Swingle) Engl. -- Agathosma Willd., nom. cons. -- Almeidea A. St.-Hil. -- Amyris P. Browne -- Andreadoxa Kallunki -- Angostura Roem. & Schult. -- Apocaulon R. S. Cowan -- Araliopsis Engl., nom. cons. -- Asterolasia F. Muell. -- Atalantia Corrêa, nom. cons. -- Balfourodendron Corr. Méllo ex Oliv. -- Balsamocitrus Stapf -- Bergera K. D. Koenig ex L. -- Boenninghausenia Rchb. ex Meisn., nom. cons. -- Boninia Planch. -- Boronia Sm. -- Bosistoa F. Muell. ex Benth. -- Bouchardatia Baill. -- Bouzetia Montrouz. -- Brombya F. Muell. -- Burkillanthus Swingle -- Calodendrum Thunb., nom. cons. -- Casimiroa La Llave -- Chloroxylon DC., nom. cons. -- Choisya Kunth -- Chorilaena Endl. -- Citropsis (Engl.) Swingle & M. Kellerm. -- Citrus L. -- Clausena Burm. f. -- Clymenia Swingle -- Cneoridium Hook. f. -- Coleonema Bartl. & H. L. Wendl. -- Comptonella Baker f. -- Conchocarpus J. C. Mikan -- Correa Andrews, nom. cons. -- Crowea Sm. -- Decagonocarpus Engl. -- Decatropis Hook. f. -- Decazyx Pittier & S. F. Blake -- Desmotes Kallunki -- Dictamnus L. -- Dictyoloma A. Juss., nom. cons. -- Diosma L. -- Diphasia Pierre -- Diphasiopsis Mendonça -- Diplolaena R. Br. -- Drummondita Harv. -- Dutaillyea Baill. -- Empleurum Aiton -- Eremocitrus Swingle -- Eriostemon Sm. -- Erythrochiton Nees & Mart. -- Esenbeckia Kunth -- Euchaetis Bartl. & H. L. Wendl. -- Euodia J. R. Forst. & G. Forst. -- Euxylophora Huber -- Evodiella B. L. Linden -- Fagaropsis Mildbr. ex Siebenl. -- Feroniella Swingle -- Flindersia R. Br. -- Fortunella Swingle -- Galipea Aubl. -- Geijera Schott -- Geleznowia Turcz. -- Glycosmis Corrêa, nom. cons. -- Halfordia F. Muell. -- Haplophyllum A. Juss., nom. cons. -- Harrisonia R. Br. ex A. Juss., nom. cons. -- Helietta Tul. -- Hortia Vand. -- Ivodea Capuron -- Kodalyodendron Borhidi & Acuña -- Leptothyrsa Hook. f. -- Limnocitrus Swingle -- Limonia L. -- Lubaria Pittier -- Lunasia Blanco -- Luvunga Buch.-Ham. ex Wight & Arn. -- Maclurodendron T. G. Hartley -- Macrostylis Bartl. & H. L. Wendl. -- Medicosma Hook. f. -- Megastigma Hook. f. -- Melicope J. R. Forst. & G. Forst. -- Merope M. Roem. -- Merrillia Swingle -- Metrodorea A. St.-Hil. -- Microcitrus Swingle -- Microcybe Turcz. -- Micromelum Blume, nom. cons. -- Monanthocitrus Tanaka -- Monnieria Loefl. -- Muiriantha C. A. Gardner -- Murraya J. König ex L., nom. cons. -- Myrtopsis Engl., nom. cons. -- Naringi Adans. -- Naudinia Planch. & Linden, nom. cons. -- Nematolepis Turcz. -- Neobyrnesia J. A. Armstr. -- Neoraputia Emmerich -- Nycticalanthus Ducke -- Oricia Pierre -- Oriciopsis Engl. -- Orixa Thunb. -- Oxanthera Montrouz. -- Pamburus Swingle -- Paramignya Wight -- Peltostigma Walp. -- Pentaceras Hook. f., nom. cons. -- Phebalium Vent. -- Phellodendron Rupr. -- Philotheca Rudge -- Phyllosma Bolus ex Schltr. -- Pilocarpus Vahl -- Pitavia Molina -- Platydesma H. Mann -- Pleiospermium Swingle -- Plethadenia Urb. -- Polyaster Hook. f. -- Poncirus Raf. -- Pseudiosma DC. -- Psilopeganum Hemsl. -- Ptelea L. -- Raputia Aubl. -- Raputiarana Emmerich -- Raulinoa R. S. Cowan -- Ravenia Vell. -- Raveniopsis Gleason -- Rhadinothamnus Paul G. Wilson -- Ruta L. -- Rutaneblina Steyerm. & Luteyn -- Sarcomelicope Engl. -- Sargentia S. Watson, nom. cons. -- Severinia Ten. ex Endl. -- Sheilanthera I. Williams -- Sigmatanthus Huber ex Emmerich -- Skimmia Thunb., nom. cons. -- Spathelia L., nom. cons. -- Spiranthera A. St.-Hil. -- Stauranthus Liebm. -- Swinglea Merr. -- Teclea Delile, nom. cons. -- Tetractomia Hook. f. -- Tetradium Lour. -- Thamnosma Torr. & Frém. -- Ticorea Aubl. -- Toddalia Juss., nom. cons. -- Toddaliopsis Engl. -- Toxosiphon Baill. -- Tractocopevodia Raizada & V. Naray. -- Triphasia Lour. -- Vepris Comm. ex A. Juss. -- Wenzelia Merr. -- Zanthoxylum L. -- Zieria Sm. -- Zieridium Baill.
References specific to this family
Cronquist page 815 (also see Balanitaceae).
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., 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, 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, 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, Mirle, C. and R.J. Burnham. 1999. Identification of asymmetrically winged samaras from the Western Hemisphere. Brittonia 51:1–14.
Illustrations
Acceptable fruit and seed drawings. Disseminule illustration(s): fruit, or seed, or embryo. Fruit illustration(s): Gaertner, Baillon, Engler & Prantl, LeMaout & Decaisne, Roosmalen, Schopmeyer, Wood, Jr. Seed illustration(s): Baillon, Engler & Prantl, LeMaout & Decaisne, Schopmeyer, Wood, Jr. Embryo illustration(s): Baillon, Engler & Prantl, LeMaout & Decaisne, Schopmeyer, Wood, Jr., Martin, Corner.
• Fruit. 1 of 28. Aegle marmelos (L.) Corrêa: fruits. • Seed. 2 of 28. Aegle marmelos (L.) Corrêa: seeds. • Fruit. 3 of 28. Angostura trifoliata (Willd.) T. S. Elias: fruit. • Seed. 4 of 28. Angostura trifoliata (Willd.) T. S. Elias: seeds. • Fruit. 5 of 28. Balfourodendron reidelianum (Engl.) Engl.: fruit. • Fruit. 6 of 28. Boronia lanuginosa Endl.: fruit with calyx. • Seed. 7 of 28. Boronia lanuginosa Endl.: seeds. • Fruit. 8 of 28. Casimiroa edulis La Llave & Lex.: fruit. • Seed. 9 of 28. Casimiroa edulis La Llave & Lex.: seeds. • Seed. 10 of 28. Clausena lansium (Lour.) Skeels: seeds. • Seed. 11 of 28. Citrus maxima (Burm.) Merr.: seed. • Fruit. 12 of 28. Dictyoloma peruvianum Planch.: open fruit. • Seed. 13 of 28. Dictyoloma peruvianum Planch.: seeds. • Fruit. 14 of 28. Diosma hirsuta L.: fruit. • Seed. 15 of 28. Diosma hirsuta L.: seeds. • Fruit. 16 of 28. Flindersia sp.: fruit segment. • Seed. 17 of 28. Flindersia sp.: seeds. • Fruit. 18 of 28. Pentaceras australe (F. Muell.) Benth.: fruit. • Seed. 19 of 28. Pentaceras australe (F. Muell.) Benth.: seeds. • Fruit. 20 of 28. Ptelea trifoliata L.: fruit. • Fruit. 22 of 28. Ruta graveolens L.: fruits. • Seed. 23 of 28. Ruta graveolens L.: seeds. • Fruit. 24 of 28. Zanthoxylum panamense P. Wilson: fruits. • Seed. 25 of 28. Zanthoxylum panamense P. Wilson: seeds. • Embryo. 26 of 28. Flindersia brayleyana F. Muell.: embryo. • Embryo. 27 of 28. Ptelea trifoliata L.: embryo. • Embryo. 28 of 28. Zanthoxylum americanum Mill.: 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’.
