Myrsinaceae |
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Perennial or annual herbs, subshrubs, shrubs, or trees, deciduous (evergreen in Ardisia), often with secretory resin canals appearing as dark dots, streaks, or punctations on vegetative and/or floral parts. Leaves cauline, alternate, opposite, whorled, or pseudowhorled, simple; stipules absent; petiole present or absent; blade margins entire or sculpted. Inflorescences terminal or axillary racemes, panicles, cymes, verticillasters (umbellate), or solitary flowers. Flowers bisexual (unisexual in Myrsine), usually radially symmetric; perianth and androecium hypogynous; sepals 4-6(-9 in Trientalis and some Lysimachia), connate proximally; petals 4-6(-9 in Trientalis and some Lysimachia, absent in some Lysimachia), connate proximally to nearly distinct (Myrsine), corolla rotate, funnelform, campanulate, or salverform; nectaries absent or sometimes nectariferous hairs present; stamens usually 5 (sometimes 4 in Anagallis, 4-6 in Myrsine, or -9 in Trientalis), antipetalous, epipetalous (free in some Lysimachia); filaments distinct or connate; anthers dehiscent by longitudinal slits or apical pores; staminodes usually absent (present in Myrsine and some Lysimachia); pistils 1, 3-5-carpellate; ovary superior, 1-locular; placentation free-central with ± globose central axis; ovules anatropous to campylotropous, uni- or bitegmic, usually embedded in placenta, tenuinucellate; styles 1 or rudimentary (in some Myrsine), terminal; stigmas 1, usually capitate to truncate (punctiform in Ardisia, conic in Myrsine). Fruits capsular, dehiscence valvate or circumscissile, or drupaceous. Seeds 1-45, brown, reddish brown, black, or white, usually angular; embryo straight or curved; endosperm copious, starchless. The largest genera in Myrsinaceae are the tropical Myrsine (300 species), Ardisia (400-500 species), and Embelia Burman f. (130 species), and the temperate Lysimachia (ca. 160 species). No genera are endemic to the flora area; some species (in Lysimachia) have been introduced and become naturalized. Ardisia elliptica is introduced and has been named a Category I Invasive Species by the Florida Exotic Plant Pest Council (http://www.fleppc.org/list/07list_ctrfld.pdf). Myrsinaceae is of limited economic value, mainly as ornamentals (some Anagallis, Ardisia, Lysimachia). Most taxa are pollinated by insects, particularly bees and flies, with nectar or pollen as rewards; some Lysimachia have oil-secreting hairs and are pollinated by oil-collecting bees (S. Vogel 1974+, vol. 2); selfing also occurs. Temperate seeds are dispersed by gravity, water, wind, or, possibly, ants or other ground-dwelling insects (B. Ståhl and A. A. Anderberg 2004).
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