Linnaeaceae

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Content is from Kirkbride et al. 2006, without modification. 
Updates are forthcoming.

Taxonomy

Linnaeaceae (Rafinesque) Backlund

Common name: Linnaea Family.

Number of genera: 5 genera.

Number of species (Mabberley 1997): 51 species.

Disseminule

Fruit (dehisced), or fruit (intact or entire), or seed.

Description

Fruits: Pistil(s) compound; 1; 1-pistillate; with carpels united. Fruit pericarpium (assumed); simple; capsule, or berry, or drupe, or achene (last 2 not Spjut); loculicidal capsule (assumed); capsule not inflated; capsule without operculum; berry indehiscent; berry without central placental mass; without persistent central column; within accessory organ(s), or not within accessory organ(s); within bracteoles, or calyx; 1-seeded, or more than 1 but less than 10-seeded (Dipelta); 1(–2)-seeded (Dipelta); less than 1 cm long; 0.15–1.5 cm long (to what?); with 3-carpellate, or 4-carpellate (Dipelta); with carpels united; with carpels remaining united at maturity; with carpels not radiating at maturity; without sterile carpels; not sulcate; apex not beaked; wall chartaceous (or harder); indehiscent, or dehiscent. Dehiscent and shedding seeds; without replum. Epicarp shiny, or dull; durable; not glabrous (with hairs), or glabrous (& glandular or not); hairs long; hairs dense, or scattered; hairs not glandular; without armature, or with armature; with bristles (Kolkwitzia); without armature glochidiate; smooth, or not smooth; ribbed (5 longitudinal), or glandular (when pubescent); without wing(s); without apical respiratory hole. Mesocarp present. Endocarp present, or absent; not separating from exocarp; thin; not splitting into 1-seeded pyrenes; smooth; without wing; without operculum; without secretory cavities; without mechanism for seedling escape; without grooves; without longitudinal ridges. Funiculus short; short without seed bearing hooks (retinacula); not persisting in fruit after seed shed.

Seeds: Aril absent. Seed larger than minute; 1 to less than 5 mm long (at least); 2–8 mm long; oblong; in transection compressed; not bowl shaped; not nutlike; with winglike beak (& glandular); without caudate appendage(s); without canavanine. Sarcotesta absent. Testa present; without markedly different marginal tissue; without fleshy or leathery layer over hard layer; surface smooth (at least for Linnaea); without crease or line separating cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle; without notch along margin where cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle tip approach each other; without glands; without bristles; glabrous; without wings; without collar; without operculum; colored; monochrome; green, or brown (all shades); not becoming mucilaginous when wetted. Embryo differentiated from food reserve; well developed; 1 per seed; at one end of seed not extending into a depression or cup; axile and centric; linear; linear; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; without stomata; not green; with 2 or more cotyledons. Cotyledons 2; equal in size; not punctate dotted.

Distribution

General distribution: Circumboreal (Linnaea). New World and Old World.

Detailed distribution: North America, Middle America, Asia Major, and Asia Minor.

References

Literature specific to this family: Ohba, H. 1993. Caprifoliaceae. In: K. Iwatsuki et al., eds., Flora of Japan, vol. 3a, pp. 420–448. Kodansha, Tokyo; Backlund, A. & N. Pyck. 1998. Diervillaceae and Linnaeaceae, two new families of caprifolioids. Taxon 47:657–661.

General references: In more recent references, see specific literature for this family.