Publication Date:
2015-04-20
Description:
Rhizomatose, aromatic or pungent, perennial, often stoloniferous herbs. Stem articulated. Leaves simple, entire, scattered (not alternate), often oblique; leaf base mostly reniform-cordate, nervation mostly palmate. Petiole sheathing or an intrapetiolar stipule. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, small, in terminal spikes or racemes or opposite the leaves (sympodial), each in the axil of a bract, bract sometimes connate with the pedicel; lowest bracts sometimes petaloid. Perianth absent. Stamens 3, 4, 6 or 8, sometimes partly abortive, free or adnate to the basal part of the ovary or epigynous. Anthers 2-celled, splitting lengthwise laterally or extrorse. Ovary composed of 3-4 connate carpels, or 1-celled with 4-3 parietal placentas. Styles free or connate at the base, often recurved, stigmatose on the inner surface. Fruit capsular opening at the top, or consisting of tubercled indehiscent 1-seeded cocci.
Distr. 4 genera, 2 in E. Asia, 1 in California, and 1 both in Asia and Atlantic N. America; the latter with 2 species, the others monotypic.
Repository Name:
National Museum of Natural History, Netherlands
Type:
Article / Letter to the editor
Format:
application/pdf
