Astraea

Klotzsch

Arch. Naturgesch. (Berlin) 7: 194. 1841.

Introduced
Etymology: For Greek mythological Astraea (star maiden), daughter of Zeus and Themis
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 12. Treatment on page 205. Mentioned on page 157, 158, 207.
 TaxonIllustrator 
FNA12 P26 Jatropha dioica.jpegCroton argyranthemus
Astraea lobata
Jatropha dioica var. dioica
Barbara Alongi
Barbara Alongi
Barbara Alongi

Herbs [subshrubs, shrubs], annual [perennial], monoecious; hairs unbranched and stellate; latex colorless. Leaves alternate, simple [palmately compound]; stipules present, persistent; petiole present, glands present at apex; blade unlobed or palmately lobed, margins serrate [entire], laminar glands absent; venation palmate at base, pinnate distally. Inflorescences bisexual (pistillate flowers proximal, staminate distal), terminal, racemes [thyrses]; glands subtending each bract 0. Pedicels present. Staminate flowers: sepals 5, imbricate, distinct; petals 5, distinct, white [to pink]; nectary extrastaminal, 5 glands; stamens 8–15, inflexed in bud, distinct; pistillode absent. Pistillate flowers: sepals 5 (–7), usually not touching in bud, connate basally; petals 0; nectary 5 glands; pistil 3-carpellate; styles 3, connate basally [distinct], multifid. Fruits capsules. Seeds oblong-rectangular; caruncle present. x = 9.

Distribution

Introduced; Fla., Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, also in Asia (Arabian Peninsula), also in Asia (India), Africa, tropical and subtropical areas

Discussion

Species ca. 12 (1 in the flora).

Astraea was treated as a section of Croton by G. L. Webster (1993). However, the molecular phylogeny of P. E. Berry et al. (2005) showed that it represents a lineage distinct from Croton. Morphological characters that support this separation include the markedly rectangular seeds, the often deeply lobed leaves, and the mixture of simple and stellate hairs. Astraea is most diverse in southeastern Brazil.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

"connate" is not a number. "distinct" is not a number.

... more about "Astraea"
Paul E. Berry +  and Benjamin W. van Ee +
Klotzsch +
lobed;unlobed +
Fla. +, Mexico +, West Indies +, Central America +, South America +, also in Asia (Arabian Peninsula) +, also in Asia (India) +, Africa +  and tropical and subtropical areas +
For Greek mythological Astraea (star maiden), daughter of Zeus and Themis +
pistillate +  and staminate +
subtending +
leaf-opposed +, terminal +  and axillary +
palmate +  and pinnate +
crenate +, repand +  and subentire +
extrastaminal +
distinct +
Arch. Naturgesch. (Berlin) +
oblong-rectangular +
connate +  and distinct +
Introduced +
multifid +  and 2-fid +
Astraea +
Euphorbiaceae +