The World Flora Online

Lianes ou arbustes grimpants. Stipules absentes. Feuilles alternes, simples, pétiolées ; limbe dimorphe (trimorphe et carnivore chez Triphyophyllum Airy Shaw), ceux de la rosette basale à sommet aigu, ceux de la tige grimpante munis d’une paire de vrilles au sommet, glabrescent ; penninervé, à nombreuses nervures secondaires parallèles. Inflorescences supra-axillaires, cymeuses. Fleurs bisexuées, actinomorphes ; sépales 3 à 5, valvaires, libres ou unis à la base en un tube court ; pétales 5, contortés en bouton, libres ; étamines 10 ou 25 à 32, libres, anthères à 2 thèques, oblongues ou ellipsoïdes, à déhiscence longitudinale ; ovaire supère, uniloculaire, avec 2 à 5 carpelles, à placentation pariétale, ovules nombreux ; styles 2 à 5(–7), libres ou courtement soudés à la base, filiformes ou laciniés. Fruits capsulaires, à déhiscence loculicide rapide, avec 2 à 5 valves. Graines peu nombreuses, discoïdes, grandes, à aile périphérique, avec une attache peltée sur le funicule ; albumen abondant.

Famille de l’Afrique tropicale, avec une distribution disjointe, connue de la Guinée, de la Sierra Leone, du Libéria et de la Côte d’Ivoire et puis du Gabon et de la République du Congo. Elle contient trois genres monotypiques, dont un au Gabon.

Flowers hermaphrodite, actinomorphic Inflorescences cymose, more or less supra-axillary Leaves simple, alternate, exstipulate, elongate, with numerous close parallel nerves, sometimes hooked at the apex, or some leaves very narrow and linear bearing stalked glands Scandent shrubs or lianes Stamens hypogynous, 10 or 25–30, free or slightly connate, straight; anthers 2-celled, elongate-linear or shortly ellipsoid Disk absent Petals 5, free, contorted, caducous Sepals 5, free or connate at the base in a short tube, valvate Fruits capsular, but opening when very young, with 2–5 open spreading valves Ovary superior, unilocular, of 2–5 carpels, early loculicidally dehiscent, each valve with a median parietal placenta; ovules anatropous, few; styles 2–5, free or subconnate at the base, filiform or plumose-laciniate Seeds few, large, disciform, broadly winged, with a stout peltately attached funicle articulated at apex, hanging from the open valves of the fruit; seeds developing in the open from a very early stage; embryo large, discoid-obconical, axile; radicle very short, opposite the hilum; endosperm copious, cap-shaped, surrounding most of the embryo Inflorescences cymose, more or less supra-axillary Leaves simple, alternate, exstipulate, elongate, with numerous close parallel nerves, sometimes hooked at the apex, or some leaves very narrow and linear bearing stalked glands Scandent shrubs or lianes Stamens hypogynous, 10 or 25–30, free or slightly connate, straight; anthers 2-celled, elongate-linear or shortly ellipsoid Disk absent Petals 5, free, contorted, caducous Sepals 5, free or connate at the base in a short tube, valvate Fruits capsular, but opening when very young, with 2–5 open spreading valves Ovary superior, unilocular, of 2–5 carpels, early loculicidally dehiscent, each valve with a median parietal placenta; ovules anatropous, few; styles 2–5, free or subconnate at the base, filiform or plumose-laciniate Seeds few, large, disciform, broadly winged, with a stout peltately attached funicle articulated at apex, hanging from the open valves of the fruit; seeds developing in the open from a very early stage; embryo large, discoid-obconical, axile; radicle very short, opposite the hilum; endosperm copious, cap-shaped, surrounding most of the embryo