Polemoniaceae

Abstract

Annual or perennial herbs, sometimes vines or woody shrubs, rarely small trees; indumentum of multicellular and uniseriate trichomes, eglandular or with terminal unicellular to multicellular glands, rarely plants completely glabrous. Leaves alternate to opposite, pinnately or less often palmately veined, entire to deeply divided, sometimes compound, petiolate or sessile, exstipulate. Inflorescences dichasial, in racemose to paniculate or capitate clusters, rarely flowers solitary. Flowers hermaphroditic, actinomorphic, sometimes zygomorphic, hypogynous; sepals (4)5(6), connate, rarely free, persistent, the tube herbaceous along the midribs, hyaline between the midribs, sometimes herbaceous throughout; petals (4)5(6), the corolla rotate to salverform, funnelform or bilabiate, the lobes mostly convolute in bud; stamens (3-)5(6), alternate with the petals, the filaments equal to unequal in length and attached to the tube, sometimes at differing levels; anthers basifixed to dorsifixed, dithecal, tetrasporangiate, dehiscing by longitudinal slits; ovary inserted on a nectariferous disk, syncarpous, (2)3-locular, placentae axile; style with (2)3 stigmatic branches; ovules 1-many per locule, in 2 rows, (hemi)anatropous, tenuinucellate, with one thick integument. Fruit a dehiscent dry capsule, loculicidal or rarely septicidal (Acanthogilia, Cobaea), sometimes explosively dehiscent (Collomia, Phlox), rarely indehiscent; seeds smooth to angled, sometimes winged, the epidermal cells with spiral thickenings and included mucilage, the cells bursting when wetted and forming a mucilaginous coat; mature embryos straight; endosperm oily.