Codonaceae

Abstract

Annual to perennial herbs or shrublets, densely branched, spiny; strong taproot present; stems terete, erect; indumentum of white spines, stiff, unicellular trichomes with 3–12 cystolithic foot cells, and 2–5-celled, uniseriate, gland-tipped trichomes. Leaves alternate, exstipulate, petiolate, pedicels bent towards shoot apex and lamina held ± parallel to shoot axis, lamina (narrowly) ovate with acuminate apex and rounded base, margin entire to coarsely serrate, lamina adaxially and along the margins densely spiny, abaxially with spines only on the very prominent midvein, venation pinnate with lateral veins ascending. Inflorescence frondose-bracteose, initially scorpioid, later straight monochasia, rarely reduced to a single terminal flower. Flowers erect, with 10–20 perianth elements, actinomorphic, bisexual, hypogynous; calyx divided nearly to base, calyx lobes unequal in width with narrow and wide calyx lobes alternating, densely spinose and pubescent; corolla white or yellow, sympetalous, campanulate to saucer-shaped, lobes half-erect to spreading, oblong with rounded apex; stamens as many as petals, filaments basally hairy, epipetalous, inserted near base of the tube, basally incurved and forming tight fascicle in the middle of the flower, anthers dorsifixed, exserted; ovary bicarpellate, nearly two-locular by deeply intruding placentae, style terminal, divided into two long lobes for ca. 1/2 of its length, elongating after pollen is shed; stigmas minute. Fruit a bivalved capsule, loculicidal, seeds numerous, ellipsoid to ovoid. Testa with deeply reticulate epidermis, endosperm copious.