Burmanniaceae

Taxonomy

Family name: Burmanniaceae Blume

Synonym(s): Tripterellaceae Dumort., nom. illeg.

Common name(s): burmannia family

*Number of genera/species: 8/99

List of genera record in GRIN-Global

Disseminule

seed

Description

Fruit a capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
(except Asiatic Gymnosiphon spp.), usually 1–10 mm long, with exception of Campylosiphon (up to 14.5 mm), globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
to cuneiformcuneiform:
wedge-shaped
, tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
or angledangular:
2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles  
in transection, perianthperianth:
collective term for calyx and corolla of a flower
persistent at apexapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ
, sometimes stylestyle:
in a flower, the narrow and elongated part of the pistil between the stigma and the ovary; sometimes persisting in fruit
persistent, with many seeds. CapsulesCapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
often longitudinally three winged or ribbedribbed:
surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface
. Capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
dehiscence is irregular by withering between ribs, transverse by slits between the ribs or wings, loculicidalloculicidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal)
, or septicidalsepticidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally by separating between the septa of adjacent carpels
. Pericarppericarp:
fruit wall or fruit coat
brown, white, green, yellow, purple, or gray, membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
, ribbedribbed:
surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface
, reticulatereticulate:
surface relief—netted, raised walls or concave grooves forming a net-like surface pattern with flat, concave, or convex interspaces
, or wrinkledwrinkled:
surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out
.

Seeds usually globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
to C-shapedC-shaped:
2D-shape—semiannulate, curved into the shape of the letter 'C'
, minute and light (dust-like), with tight, colored seed coat. Or rarely seeds are narrowly fusiformfusiform:
spindle-shaped; broadest at the middle and tapering at both ends
with loose, transparent seed coat (seeds appear white, Dictyostega). Seed wings due to a thin extension of seed coat at both ends. Seed coat, if colored, brown, yellow, gray, green, or white, shinyshiny:
uniformly reflecting a high proportion of incident light at all angles
, thin, glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
, smooth, reticulatereticulate:
surface relief—netted, raised walls or concave grooves forming a net-like surface pattern with flat, concave, or convex interspaces
, sculptured, ribbedribbed:
surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface
, or wartywarty:
surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose
. Funiculusfuniculus:
(alt. funicle) stalk connecting the ovule (later seed) to the ovary (later fruit) placenta
long or short (longer than the seeds, Cymbocarpa).

Embryo minute, rudimentaryrudimentary:
(of embryo) embryo is small and fills less than a quarter of the seed and can be variable in shapes, such as linear, spatulate, or oval
.

Endosperm scanty.

Identification features

Fruit
Type	capsulecapsule: a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
Size range	1–10(–14.5) mm long
Shape(s)	globoseglobose: 3D shape—more or less spherical , ovoidovoid: 3D shape—ovate , ellipsoidellipsoid: 3D shape—elliptic , conicalconical: 3D shape—cone-shaped, with the point of attachment at the broad end , trigonoustrigonous: 3D shape—having three faces that meet at distinct angles; triangular in outline , cylindricalcylindrical: 3D shape—a cylinder, with parallel sides and a circular cross-section; tubular or rod-shaped , boat-shaped, cuneiformcuneiform: wedge-shaped
Texture	membranousmembranous: texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
Surface relief	ribbedribbed: surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface , reticulatereticulate: surface relief—netted, raised walls or concave grooves forming a net-like surface pattern with flat, concave, or convex interspaces , wrinkledwrinkled: surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out
Color(s)	brown, white, green, yellow, purple, gray
Unique features	Winged or ribbedribbed: surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface capsulescapsule: a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary with persistent floral tube filledfilled: (of embryo) embryo fills the seed interior with the food reserves stored in the cotyledons; small amounts of endosperm may remain around the embryo with dustlike seeds.
Seed
Size range	0.2–1 mm long
Shape(s)	globoseglobose: 3D shape—more or less spherical , ovoidovoid: 3D shape—ovate , ellipsoidellipsoid: 3D shape—elliptic , linearlinear: (shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide , fusiformfusiform: spindle-shaped; broadest at the middle and tapering at both ends , C-shapedC-shaped: 2D-shape—semiannulate, curved into the shape of the letter 'C'
Surface relief	smooth, reticulatereticulate: surface relief—netted, raised walls or concave grooves forming a net-like surface pattern with flat, concave, or convex interspaces , sculptured, ribbedribbed: surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface , wartywarty: surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose
Color(s)	brown, yellow, gray, green, white
Unique features	Dustlike winged seeds.
Other
Embryo	miniature
Nutritive tissue	endosperm scanty

Distribution

Pan- and subtropical.

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; Cowley 1988Cowley 1988:
Cowley EJ. 1988. Burmanniaceae. In: Polhill RM, ed. Flora of Tropical East Africa. Vol 25. AA Balkema, Rotterdam Netherlands. 9 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.; Davidse et al. 2009–2018Davidse et al. 2009–2018:
Davidse GM, Sousa Sánchez M, Knapp S. and Chiang Cabrera F, eds. 2009–2018. Flora Mesoamericana. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO. Accessed: January–April 2024. URL: http://legacy.tropicos.org/Project/FM; Jonker 1948Jonker 1948:
Jonker FP. 1948. Burmanniaceae (Jonker). Flora Malesiana. Ser. I, Spermatophyta 4 (1): 13-26.; 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 2020-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.; Maas et al. 1986Maas et al. 1986:
Maas PJM, Maas-van de Kamer H, Van Benthem J, Snelders HCM, and Rubsamen T. 1986. Burmanniaceae. Flora Neotropica 42: 1-189.; 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.; Takhtajan 2009Takhtajan 2009:
Takhtajan A. 2009. Flowering plants: Second edition. Springer Nature, Switzerland. 871 pp.; Watson and Dallwitz 1992+Watson and Dallwitz 1992+:
Watson L and Dallwitz MJ. 1992+. The families of flowering plants: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval. Version: 6th Accessed September 2020-September 2022. URL: delta-intkey.com; Wright 1913Wright 1913:
Wright CH. 1913. Burmanniaceae. In: Thiselton-Dyer WT, ed. Flora Capensis: Being a Systematic Description of the Plants of the Cape Colony, Caffraria and Port Natal, and Neighbouring Territories. Vol. 5, Part 3. L. Reeve, Kent UK. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.821

*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): 201-217. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1, which may differ from the number of genera in GRIN-Global.