Family Smilacaceae
Description: Dioecious perennial climbers.
Leaves alternate, lamina entire, with 3–7 longitudinal veins and prominent reticulate venation; stipules fused to petiole and ending in tendrils.
Inflorescence axillary or terminal, pedunculate, cymose umbels or umbellate panicles. Flowers actinomorphic, unisexual. Tepals 6, in 2 whorls. Stamens 6, [3, 9 or more]; filaments free [or fused into a column]; anthers 1-locular, dehiscing by slits or pores, latrorse. Ovary superior, 3-locular; ovule usually 1 per loculus; stigma sessile minutely 3-lobed.
Fruit a berry; seeds 1 to few.
Distribution and occurrence: World: 3 gen., c. 320 spp., trop. to temp. regions. Aust.: 1 gen., 7 spp., Qld, N.S.W., Vic., N.T., W.A.
External links:
Angiosperm Phylogeny Website (Family: Smilacaceae, Order: Liliales)
Wikipedia
Text by G. J. Harden
Taxon concept:
|
