Butomaceae

Taxonomy

Family name: Butomaceae Mirbel

Synonym(s): [none]

Common name(s): flowering-rush family

*Number of genera/species: 1/1

List of generic records in GRIN-Global

Disseminule

seed

Description

Fruit a follicle usually aggregateaggregate:
fruit formed from a single flower with carpels several and distinct
, 10 mm long, teardrop shapedteardrop-shaped:
2D shape—widest point is toward one end of the fruit, the other end tapers sharply to a pointed end
, beakedbeak:
a usually firm, terminal appendage, sometimes tapered
, with many seeds. Pericarppericarp:
fruit wall or fruit coat
brown to nearly black, leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
, smooth.

Seeds oblongoblong:
2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded
, tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
in transection, 2 mm long. Seed coat brown, membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
, glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
, distinctly longitudinally ribbedribbed:
surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface
, may also appear wrinkledwrinkled:
surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out
or striatestriate:
surface relief—having fine, parallel lines, grooves or ridges
. (Note, dried seeds do not germinate.)

Embryo 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
, linearlinear:
(shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide
, straight.

Endosperm lacking.

Habitat and crop association

Butomus umbellatus is an aquatic state noxious weed in Connecticut, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Washington.

Aquarium & Pond Plants of the World tool includes descriptions and images of Butomus.

Identification features

Fruit
Type	folliclefollicle: a dry to (rarely) fleshy fruit derived from a single carpel that opens along a single longitudinal suture, derived from a single, superior, simple ovary; the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa
Size range	10 mm long
Shape(s)	teardrop-shapedteardrop-shaped: 2D shape—widest point is toward one end of the fruit, the other end tapers sharply to a pointed end
Texture	leatheryleathery: texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
Surface relief	smooth
Color(s)	brown, black
Unique features	Small, teardrop-shapedteardrop-shaped: 2D shape—widest point is toward one end of the fruit, the other end tapers sharply to a pointed end aggregateaggregate: fruit formed from a single flower with carpels several and distinct of folliclesfollicle: a dry to (rarely) fleshy fruit derived from a single carpel that opens along a single longitudinal suture, derived from a single, superior, simple ovary; the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa with longitudinally ribbedribbed: surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface seeds.
Seed
Size range	2 mm long
Shape(s)	oblongoblong: 2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded
Surface relief	longitudinally ribbedribbed: surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface
Color(s)	brown
Other
Embryo	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 , linearlinear: (shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide , straight
Nutritive tissue	endosperm lacking

Distribution

Temperate regions of Eurasia and North Africa, naturalized in northern North America.

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; 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-March 2024. 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 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.; 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.; Tutin et al. 1964–1980Tutin et al. 1964–1980:
Tutin TG, Burges NA, Chater AO, Edmondson JR, Heywood VH, Moore DM, Valentine DH, Walters SM, and Webb DA (eds.) 1964–1980. Flora Europaea. 5 vols. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK. 2,524 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

*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.