Tecophilaeaceae

Taxonomy

Family name: Tecophilaeaceae Leyb.

Synonym(s): Androsynaceae Salisb.; Cyanastraceae Engl., nom. cons.; Cyanellaceae Salisb.; Walleriaceae H. Huber ex Takht., nom. cons.

Common name(s): cyanella family

*Number of genera/species: 9/27

List of genera records in GRIN-Global

Disseminule

seed

Description

Fruit a loculicidalloculicidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal)
capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
, usually trilobed, 8–20 mm long, globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
, ovoidovoid:
3D shape—ovate
, or ellipsoidellipsoid:
3D shape—elliptic
, sometimes perianth persistent, with few to many seeds. Pericarppericarp:
fruit wall or fruit coat
green, yellow, or orange, membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
, often with visible veins, wrinkledwrinkled:
surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out
.

Seeds globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
, ellipsoidellipsoid:
3D shape—elliptic
, or ovoidovoid:
3D shape—ovate
, tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
or flattened in transection, less than 5 mm long, but larger seeds 5–9 mm long (Cyanastrum, Kabuyea, Walleria). Smaller seeds ellipsoidellipsoid:
3D shape—elliptic
or ovoidovoid:
3D shape—ovate
(Odontospermum), flattened in transection, seed coats black to brown, shinyshiny:
uniformly reflecting a high proportion of incident light at all angles
, phytomelanphytomelan:
carbonaceous, opaque material that usually covers the seed coat to give it a black appearance, common in certain monocot families
present, thin, smooth or sculptured.

For larger seeded genera, Cyanastrum seeds are yellow to brown, without phytomelanphytomelan:
carbonaceous, opaque material that usually covers the seed coat to give it a black appearance, common in certain monocot families
, globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
to pearlike, deeply pittedpitted:
surface relief—surface with small depressions in which the areas between the hollows do not take on the appearance of a true reticular net
at the chalazalchalaza:
the region at the base of the ovule where the integuments are inserted
end only, and with a brown, fleshy or spongyspongy:
soft, light, discontinuous but cohesive, and somewhat resilient
, reticulatereticulate:
surface relief—netted, raised walls or concave grooves forming a net-like surface pattern with flat, concave, or convex interspaces
cap. Kabuyea seeds are yellow, globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
, with phytomelanphytomelan:
carbonaceous, opaque material that usually covers the seed coat to give it a black appearance, common in certain monocot families
, and a deeply pittedpitted:
surface relief—surface with small depressions in which the areas between the hollows do not take on the appearance of a true reticular net
seed coat with microprickles in the pits. Walleria seeds are shinyshiny:
uniformly reflecting a high proportion of incident light at all angles
, dark-red brown, ovoidovoid:
3D shape—ovate
, lobed, without phytomelanphytomelan:
carbonaceous, opaque material that usually covers the seed coat to give it a black appearance, common in certain monocot families
, and densely wartywarty:
surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose
seed coats with tufts of hairs on the lobe apicesapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ
.

Embryo well developed, broad, straight or slightly curvedcurved:
(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart
(Walleria), and partially filling the seed coat. In Cyanastrum, embryo is large with a terminal cotyledoncotyledon:
a primary leaf of the embryo
and sunken laterallateral:
(of embryo) embryo lies along the side of the seed, generally towards one end; of, at, or from the side; in grasses, can refer to the sides adjacent to the dorsal and ventral sides
plumule.

Endosperm present except nearly absent in Cyanastrum.

Identification features

Fruit
Type	capsulecapsule: a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
Size range	8–20 mm long
Shape(s)	globoseglobose: 3D shape—more or less spherical , ovoidovoid: 3D shape—ovate , ellipsoidellipsoid: 3D shape—elliptic
Texture	membranousmembranous: texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
Surface relief	wrinkledwrinkled: surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out
Color(s)	green, yellow, orange
Unique features	Orange, yellow, or green capsulescapsule: a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary with wrinkledwrinkled: surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out , membranousmembranous: texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough fruit walls.
Seed
Size range	usually less than 5 mm long, except in a few genera
Shape(s)	globoseglobose: 3D shape—more or less spherical , ellipsoidellipsoid: 3D shape—elliptic , ovoidovoid: 3D shape—ovate
Surface relief	reticulatereticulate: surface relief—netted, raised walls or concave grooves forming a net-like surface pattern with flat, concave, or convex interspaces , spinyspiny: having slender, stiff, sharp projections oriented in the general plane of the structure , pittedpitted: surface relief—surface with small depressions in which the areas between the hollows do not take on the appearance of a true reticular net , clathrateclathrate: latticelike in appearance , wartywarty: surface relief—distinct, rounded projections that are large relative to the fruit size; tuberculate, verrucose
Color(s)	black, yellow, brown
Other
Embryo	well developed, broad, straight or slightly curvedcurved: (of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart (Walleria), and partially filling the seed coat. In Cyanastrum, embryo is large with a terminal cotyledoncotyledon: a primary leaf of the embryo and sunken laterallateral: (of embryo) embryo lies along the side of the seed, generally towards one end; of, at, or from the side; in grasses, can refer to the sides adjacent to the dorsal and ventral sides plumule.
Nutritive tissue	endosperm present except nearly absent in Cyanastrum

Distribution

Africa, Chile, U.S.A.

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; Bingham et al. 2021+Bingham et al. 2021+:
Bingham MG, Willeman A, Wursten BT, Ballings P, and Hyde MA. 2021. Flora of Zambia. Accessed January 2021–April 2024. URL: https://www.zambiaflora.com; Carter 1966bCarter 1966b:
Carter S. 1966b. Tecophilaeaceae. In: Milne-Redhead E and Polhill RM, eds. Flora of Tropical East Africa. Vol 179. Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations, London UK. 7 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.; 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.

*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.