Tecophilaeaceae

Taxonomy

Family name: Tecophilaeaceae Leyb.

Synonym(s): Androsynaceae Salisb.; Cyanastraceae Engl., nom. cons.; Cyanellaceae Salisb.; Walleriaceae H. Huber ex Takht., nom. cons.

Common name(s): cyanella family

*Number of genera/species: 9/27

List of genera records in GRIN-Global

Disseminule

seed

Description

Fruit dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
, loculicidalloculicidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal)
capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels
, usually trilobed, 8–20 mm long, globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
, ovoidovoid:
3D shape—ovate
, or ellipsoidellipsoid:
3D shape—elliptic
, sometimes with persistent perianthperianth:
collective term for calyx and corolla of a flower
, few to many seeded. Pericarppericarp:
fruit wall or fruit coat
green, yellow, or orange, membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
, often with visible veins, wrinkledwrinkled:
surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out
.

Seed globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
, ellipsoidellipsoid:
3D shape—elliptic
, or ovoidovoid:
3D shape—ovate
, tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
or flattened in transectiontransection:
a cross section; representing a plane made by cutting across an organ at a right angle to its length
, less than 5 mm long, but larger seeds 5–9 mm long (Cyanastrum, Kabuyea, Walleria). Smaller seeds ellipsoidellipsoid:
3D shape—elliptic
or ovoidovoid:
3D shape—ovate
(Odontospermum), flattened in transectiontransection:
a cross section; representing a plane made by cutting across an organ at a right angle to its length
, seed coat black to brown, shinyshiny:
uniformly reflecting a high proportion of incident light at all angles
, phytomelanphytomelan:
carbonaceous, opaque material that usually covers the seed coat to give it a black appearance, common in certain monocot families
present, thinthin:
having or being of relatively little depth
, smooth or sculptured.

For larger seeded genera, Cyanastrum seeds are yellow to brown, without phytomelanphytomelan:
carbonaceous, opaque material that usually covers the seed coat to give it a black appearance, common in certain monocot families
, globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
to pearlike, deeply pittedpitted:
surface relief—surface with small depressions in which the areas between the hollows do not take on the appearance of a true reticular net
at the chalazal end only, and with a brown, fleshyfleshy:
texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut
or spongyspongy:
soft, light, discontinuous but cohesive, and somewhat resilient
, reticulatereticulate:
surface relief—netted, raised walls or concave grooves forming a net-like surface pattern with flat, concave, or convex interspaces
cap. Kabuyea seeds are yellow, globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
, with phytomelanphytomelan:
carbonaceous, opaque material that usually covers the seed coat to give it a black appearance, common in certain monocot families
, and a deeply pittedpitted:
surface relief—surface with small depressions in which the areas between the hollows do not take on the appearance of a true reticular net
seed coat with microprickles in the pits. Walleria seeds are shinyshiny:
uniformly reflecting a high proportion of incident light at all angles
, dark-red brown, ovoidovoid:
3D shape—ovate
, lobed, without phytomelanphytomelan:
carbonaceous, opaque material that usually covers the seed coat to give it a black appearance, common in certain monocot families
, and a densely wartywarty:
surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose
seed coat with tufts of hairs on the lobe apicesapices:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ
.

Embryo well developed, broad, straight or slightly curvedcurved:
(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart
(Walleria), and partially filling the seed coat. In Cyanastrum, embryo is large with a terminal cotyledoncotyledon:
a primary leaf of the embryo
and sunken laterallateral:
(of embryo) embryo lies along the side of the seed, generally towards one end; of, at, or from the side; in grasses, can refer to the sides adjacent to the dorsal and ventral sides
plumule. Endospermendosperm:
nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds
present except nearly absent in Cyanastrum.

Identification features

Fruit
Type	capsulecapsule: a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels
Size range	8–20 mm long
Shape(s)	globose, ovoidovoid: 3D shape—ovate , ellipsoid
Texture	membranousmembranous: texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
Surface relief	wrinkledwrinkled: surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out
Color(s)	green, yellow, orange
Unique features	Orange, yellow, or green capsulescapsules: a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels , with wrinkledwrinkled: surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out , membranousmembranous: texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough fruit walls.
Seed
Size range	usually less than 5 mm long, except in a few genera
Shape(s)	globose, ellipsoidellipsoid: 3D shape—elliptic , ovoid
Surface relief	reticulate, spinyspiny: having slender, stiff, sharp projections oriented in the general plane of the structure , pittedpitted: surface relief—surface with small depressions in which the areas between the hollows do not take on the appearance of a true reticular net , clathrateclathrate: latticelike in appearance , warty
Color(s)	black, yellow, brown
Other
Embryo	well developed, broad, straight or slightly curvedcurved: (of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart (Walleria), and partially filling the seed coat. In Cyanastrum, embryo is large with a terminal cotyledoncotyledon: a primary leaf of the embryo and sunken laterallateral: (of embryo) embryo lies along the side of the seed, generally towards one end; of, at, or from the side; in grasses, can refer to the sides adjacent to the dorsal and ventral sides plumule
Nutritive tissuenutritive tissue: tissue within the seeds that nourishes the developing embryo; such as endosperm, perisperm, or chalazosperm in angiosperms; megagametophyte in gymnosperms	endosperm endosperm: nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds present except nearly absent in Cyanastrum

Distribution

Africa, Chile, U.S.A.

Distribution map courtesy of Angiosperm Phylogeny Website.

References

Baskin and Baskin 2021Baskin and Baskin 2021:
Baskin C and Baskin J. 2021. Relationship of the lateral embryo (in grasses) to other monocot embryos: A status up-grade. Seed Science Research 31 (3): 199-210. doi:10.1017/S0960258521000209; Bingham et al. 2021; Carter 1966bCarter 1966b:
Carter S. 1966b. Tecophilaeaceae. In: Milne-Redhead E and Polhill RM, eds. Flora of Tropical East Africa. Vol 179. Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations, London UK. 7 pp.; Dahlgren et al. 1985Dahlgren et al. 1985:
Dahlgren RMT, Clifford HT, and Yeo PF. 1985. The families of the monocotyledons: structure, evolution, and taxonomy. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. 520 pp.; Flora of North America Editorial Committee 1993+Flora of North America Editorial Committee 1993+:
Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico [Online]. 22+ vols. Flora of North America Association, New York and Oxford. Accessed January-December 2021. URL: http://beta.floranorthamerica.org.; Kirkbride et al. 2006Kirkbride et al. 2006:
Kirkbride JH, Jr, Gunn CR, and Dallwitz MJ. 2006. Family guide for fruits and seeds, vers. 1.0. Accessed September 2020ndash;January 2022. URL: https://nt.ars-grin.gov/seedsfruits/keys/frsdfam/index.cfm .; Kubitzki et al. 1990+Kubitzki et al. 1990+:
Kubitzki K et al., eds. 1990+. The families and genera of vascular plants. 7+ vols. Berlin etc.; Stevenson and Loconte 1995Stevenson and Loconte 1995:
Stevenson DW and Loconte H. 1995. A cladistic analysis of monocot families. In: Rudall PJ, Cribb PJ, Cutler DF, and Humphries CJ, eds. Monocotyledons: Systematics and Evolution. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

*The number of genera and species is based on Christenhusz and Byng 2016Christenhusz and Byng 2016:
Christenhusz MJM and Byng JW. 2016. The number of known plant species in the world and its annual increase. Phytotaxa 261 (3): 201ndash;217. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1, which may differ from the number of genera in GRIN-Global.