The World Flora Online

Herbes annuelles ou vivaces, arbustes, rarement arbres ou lianes. Stipules absentes. Feuilles opposées ou verticillées, rarement alternes, simples ou composées digitées, fréquemment aromatiques ; limbe entier, denté ou diversement lobé. Inflorescences en panicules, cymes ou épis bractéolés. Fleurs généralement 4- ou 5-mères, généralement hermaphrodites ; calice tubulé ou campanulé, lobé ou subentier ; corolle souvent à deux lèvres, parfois subrégulière, tube généralement étroit, limbe étalé, lobes imbriqués dans le bouton ; étamines (2 ou)4, didynames, libres, épipétales, alternées avec les lobes, anthères libres ou conniventes, dorsifixes, à deux thèques généralement parallèles, s’ouvrant par des fentes longitudinales introrses ; disque généralement présent ; ovaire supère, sessile, entier ou légèrement 4-lobé, 2(à 9)-loculaire, généralement tôt 4(ou plus)-loculaire par le développement de fausses cloisons, à placentation axile, à 2 ovules dressés dans chaque vraie loge (2 par carpelle) ; style terminal, simple ou brièvement 2(ou 4 ou 5)-lobé. Fruits en drupe, peu fréquemment en capsule ou se divisant à maturité en 2 ou 4 akènes. Graines à endosperme charnu ou absent.

Famille d’environ 32 genres et environ 800 espèces, principalement tropicales et subtropicales, avec seulement un nombre limité de représentants (généralement des herbes) dans les régions tempérées. Principalement d’origine américaine, avec quelques représentants en Afrique, en Asie et en Europe. Au Gabon, la famille est représentée par dix espèces dans quatre genres, dont seulement quatre espèces dans trois genres sont indigènes.

Herbaceous or woody, often with quadrangular branchlets Seeds with straight embryo and scanty or no endosperm Fruit a drupe or berry Style terminal, simple Ovary superior, 2-8-celled, often 4-celled Stamens on the corolla, 4 or rarely 2 or 5; anthers 2-celled, cells often divergent, opening lengthwise Corolla gamopetalous, tubular, 4-5-lobed, lobes imbricate Flowers hermaphrodite, zygomorphic Calyx 4-5-lobed or toothed, persistent Leaves usually opposite or whorled, simple or compound; stipules absent Seeds with straight embryo and scanty or no endosperm Fruit a drupe or berry Style terminal, simple Ovary superior, 2-8-celled, often 4-celled Stamens on the corolla, 4 or rarely 2 or 5; anthers 2-celled, cells often divergent, opening lengthwise Corolla gamopetalous, tubular, 4-5-lobed, lobes imbricate Flowers hermaphrodite, zygomorphic Calyx 4-5-lobed or toothed, persistent Leaves usually opposite or whorled, simple or compound; stipules absent

Flowers zygomorphic, hermaphrodite, hypogynous, usually with an inconspicuous nectariferous disk, each solitary in the axil of a single bract, sessile or pedicellate Calyx gamosepalous, persistent, campanulate or tubular, 5-lobed or 5-toothed, sometimes expanded or inflated in fruit Corolla gamopetalous, hypocrateriform (with very narrow tube and abruptly spreading limb), funnel-shaped in Verbena, 5-lobed[a1] , often somewhat bilabiate (with a 2-lobed upper lip and 3-lobed lower lip), variously coloured Stamens 4, didynamous, epipetalous; filaments distinct; anthers dorsifixed, dehiscing longitudinally, introrse Gynoecium of 1 pistil, 2-carpellate, though sometimes reduced to one; ovary superior, 2-locular but typically appearing 4-locular due to ovary wall intrusions (false septa), usually slightly to moderately 4-lobed[a2] ; ovules 1 in each apparent locule, usually anatropous, erect, placentation axile with ovules attached to the margin of the false septum (directly to carpel margins, not sub terminal); style 1, terminal; stigma 1, capitate or lobed Fruit a drupe with 2 or 4 pyrenes, or a schizocarp splitting into 2 or 4 nutlets (mericarps), enclosed or subtended by persistent calyx; endosperm absent; embryo straight, oily Leaves simple, opposite or sometimes whorled; lamina entire or serrate to lobed; stipules absent Inflorescence indeterminate, terminal or axillary, lax or condensed, racemose, spicate or capitate Annual or perennial herbs or shrubs, rarely trees or vines, often aromatic, sometimes armed with prickles and/or spines Stems frequently square in cross section Calyx gamosepalous, persistent, campanulate or tubular, 5-lobed or 5-toothed, sometimes expanded or inflated in fruit Corolla gamopetalous, hypocrateriform (with very narrow tube and abruptly spreading limb), funnel-shaped in Verbena, 5-lobed[a1] , often somewhat bilabiate (with a 2-lobed upper lip and 3-lobed lower lip), variously coloured Stamens 4, didynamous, epipetalous; filaments distinct; anthers dorsifixed, dehiscing longitudinally, introrse Gynoecium of 1 pistil, 2-carpellate, though sometimes reduced to one; ovary superior, 2-locular but typically appearing 4-locular due to ovary wall intrusions (false septa), usually slightly to moderately 4-lobed[a2] ; ovules 1 in each apparent locule, usually anatropous, erect, placentation axile with ovules attached to the margin of the false septum (directly to carpel margins, not sub terminal); style 1, terminal; stigma 1, capitate or lobed Fruit a drupe with 2 or 4 pyrenes, or a schizocarp splitting into 2 or 4 nutlets (mericarps), enclosed or subtended by persistent calyx; endosperm absent; embryo straight, oily Leaves simple, opposite or sometimes whorled; lamina entire or serrate to lobed; stipules absent Inflorescence indeterminate, terminal or axillary, lax or condensed, racemose, spicate or capitate Annual or perennial herbs or shrubs, rarely trees or vines, often aromatic, sometimes armed with prickles and/or spines Stems frequently square in cross section

Fls sympetalous, hypogynous, mostly perfect; cal (2)4–5(–7)-lobed, sometimes irregular; cor salverform or funnelform, mostly 4–5-lobed, ± irregular in most genera, sometimes bilabiate; stamens (2)4(5), inserted on the cor-tube; ovary typically bicarpellate and with 4 uniovulate chambers, shallowly 4-lobed and separating in fr into 4 nutlets, but varying in diverse genera, sometimes with only 2 uniovulate chambers and ripening into 2 nutlets, or ripening into a drupe with 2 or 4 stones, and in Phryma unilocular and uniovulate, ripening into an achene; style terminal, or often arising between the 4 short distal lobes of the ovary, the stigma often unequally bilobed; embryo with 2 cotyledons; endosperm mostly wanting; herbs or woody plants, usually not aromatic, with mostly 4-angled stems and opposite, exstipulate lvs. (Phrymaceae) 100/2600, mostly of warm regions.

Shrubs or trees, sometimes climbing shrubs, rarely herbs. Indumentum of simple, stellate, and/or other complex hairs. Leaves opposite or rarely whorled, without stipules, simple or 3-foliolate, less often palmately [or pinnately] compound. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, racemose, cymose, spicate, or thyrses. Flowers bisexual or polygamous by abortion, zygomorphic or rarely actinomorphic. Calyx persistent. Corolla 4- or 5- or more lobed; lobes usually spreading, aestivation overlapping. Fertile stamens inserted on corolla tube, alternate with lobes; filaments free; anthers dorsifixed, 1- or 2-locular, dehiscing by longitudinal slits or sometimes a circular pore. Ovary entire or 4-grooved, 2-8-locular; ovules 1 or 2 per locule, erect or pendulous. Style terminal, simple, entire or 2-cleft. Fruit a drupe or indehiscent capsule, sometimes breaking up into nutlets. Seeds (1 or)2-4, endosperm usually absent, seed coat thin; embryo straight, as long as seed; radicle short, inferior.

Leaves predominantly opposite, sometimes whorled, rarely alternate, simple or digitately compound, entire, serrate or variously lobed, frequently aromatic; stipules absent Flowers mostly ± irregular and 2-lipped, sometimes almost regular, usually 4–5-merous, usually hermaphrodite in often bracteate panicles, cymes or spikes Calyx tubular or campanulate, lobed or subentire, sometimes 2-lipped Herbs, shrubs, trees or woody climbers (varying from small annual herbs to large forest trees), sometimes thorny Disk usually present, sometimes conspicuous Stamens 4, didynamous, rarely 2 or, in a few genera, the same number as the corolla-lobes, inserted in the corolla-tube and alternate with lobes; filaments free; anthers free or connivent, dorsifixed, 2-thecous, the thecae mostly parallel, opening by longitudinal slits, introrse Corolla usually with narrow tube and spreading limb, minute to quite large and showy; lobes imbricate in bud Ovary superior, sessile, entire or slightly 4-lobed, 2(–9)-locular, usually soon 4(or more)-locular by development of false septa, with axile or free central (in Avicennia) placentation; ovules 2 in each true locule (2 per carpel), erect or pendulous (in >i>Avicennia); style terminal, simple and entire or shortly 2(rarely 4–5)-lobed Fruit a drupe, a capsule (infrequent) or dividing at maturity into 2 or 4 nutlets Seeds without or with much reduced endosperm or present and fleshy (in >i>Avicennia); testa membranous Calyx tubular or campanulate, lobed or subentire, sometimes 2-lipped Herbs, shrubs, trees or woody climbers (varying from small annual herbs to large forest trees), sometimes thorny Disk usually present, sometimes conspicuous Stamens 4, didynamous, rarely 2 or, in a few genera, the same number as the corolla-lobes, inserted in the corolla-tube and alternate with lobes; filaments free; anthers free or connivent, dorsifixed, 2-thecous, the thecae mostly parallel, opening by longitudinal slits, introrse Corolla usually with narrow tube and spreading limb, minute to quite large and showy; lobes imbricate in bud Ovary superior, sessile, entire or slightly 4-lobed, 2(–9)-locular, usually soon 4(or more)-locular by development of false septa, with axile or free central (in Avicennia) placentation; ovules 2 in each true locule (2 per carpel), erect or pendulous (in >i>Avicennia); style terminal, simple and entire or shortly 2(rarely 4–5)-lobed Fruit a drupe, a capsule (infrequent) or dividing at maturity into 2 or 4 nutlets Seeds without or with much reduced endosperm or present and fleshy (in >i>Avicennia); testa membranous