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Tovariaceae F. Pax
Common name: Tovaria Family.
Number of genera: 1 genus.
Number of species (Mabberley 1997): 2 species.
Disseminule type: Fruit (intact or entire).
Division: Angiosperm.
Class: Magnoliopsida.
Fruits: Pistil(s) compound; 1; 1-pistillate; with carpels united. Fruit pericarpium; simple; berry; berry indehiscent; berry with soft and juicy central placental mass easily separating from epicarp; without persistent central column; not within accessory organ(s); many-seeded; many; with (5)6(8)-carpellate; with carpels united; with carpels remaining united at maturity; with carpels not radiating at maturity; with carpels remaining connected at style; without sterile carpels; not sulcate; in transection terete; apex not beaked; indehiscent. Epicarp durable; glabrous; without armature; not smooth; without wing(s); without apical respiratory hole. Mesocarp absent. Endocarp absent. Funiculus short; short without seed bearing hooks (retinacula); not persisting in fruit after seed shed.
Seeds: Aril absent. Seed larger than minute (small); reniform; in
transection compressed; not bowl shaped; not nutlike; without winglike beak;
without caudate appendage(s); at maturity with food reserves; with endosperm;
without canavanine. Sarcotesta absent. Testa present; without markedly different
marginal tissue; without fleshy or leathery layer over hard layer; tight; shiny;
surface unsmooth; surface with merged raised features; surface reticulate;
without crease or line separating cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle; with notch
along margin where cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle tip approaching each other;
without glands; without bristles; glabrous; without wings; without collar;
without operculum; colored; monochrome; not becoming mucilaginous when wetted;
surrounding food reserve. Endosperm development nuclear; thin; smooth; with
oils; without fatty acid containing cyclopropene; without apical lobes; without
chlorophyll; without isodiametric faceted surface; without odor. Embryo
differentiated from food reserve; well developed; 1 per seed; partially filling
testa (with food reserve); 0.7 times the length of food reserve; at one end of
seed not extending into a depression or cup; peripheral; linear; arcuate;
parallel to seed length; surrounding endosperm; with cotyledons gradually
connected to hypocotyl-radicle; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; without
stomata; not green; with 2 or more cotyledons. Cotyledons 2; moderately
developed, or well developed; 0.30.5 times length of embryo; as wide as
hypocotyl-radicle; 1 times wider than hypocotyl-radicle; not concealing
hypocotyl-radicle; not foliaceous; thin; flat; smooth; with apices entire; with
margins separate; basally entire; equal in size; not punctate dotted.
Hypocotyl-radicle moderately developed, or well developed; curved; not
thickened.
General distribution: New World.
Detailed distribution: Middle America and South America.
Notes: Spjut did not covered this family.
Noxious weeds: No USA noxious weeds listed for this family.
Accepted Genera: Tovaria Ruiz & Pav., nom. cons.
General references: Cronquist, A. 1981. An integrated system of classification of flowering plants, 1,262 p. Columbia University Press, New York, Engler, A. & K. Prantl. 1924 and onward. Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilimien. W. Engelman, Leipzig, Goldberg, A. 1986 (dicots) & 1989 (monocots). Classification, evolution, and phylogeny of the familes of Dicotyledons. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 58 for dicots (314 pp.) & 71 for monocots (74 pp.). [Goldberg's illustrations are reproduced from older publications and these should be consulted], Gunn, C.R., J.H. Wiersema, C.A. Ritchie, & J.H. Kirkbride, Jr. 1992 & amendments. Families and genera of Spermatophytes recognized by the Agricultural Research Service. Techn. Bull. U.S.D.A. 1796:1500, Hutchinson, J. 1964. The families of flowering plants, vol. I. Dicotyledons. Clarendon Press, Oxford, and Mabberley, D.J. 1987. The plant-book, 706 p. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Suggested citation: Kirkbride, J.H., Jr., C.R. Gunn, and M.J. Dallwitz. 2006. Family Guide for Fruits and Seeds, vers. 1.0. URL: http://nt.ars-grin.gov/sbmlweb/OnlineResources/frsdfam/Index.cfm. Accessed March 16, 2009.
Systematic Mycology and Microbiology Laboratory
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