Murdannia
Illustrations of the Botany... of the Himalayan Mountains... 403, plate 95, fig. 3. 1840.
| Taxon | Illustrator ⠉ | |
|---|---|---|
 | Callisia micrantha Callisia graminea Callisia cordifolia Callisia repens Murdannia keisak | Bee F. Gunn Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey |
Herbs, annual or perennial. Roots thin [tuberous]. Leaves: blade sessile. Inflorescences terminal, terminal and axillary, or all axillary, thyrses to fascicles of 1-flowered cymes; spathaceous bracts absent; bracteoles persistent or caducous. Flowers bisexual or bisexual and staminate, radially or bilaterally symmetric; pedicels well developed; sepals distinct, subequal; petals distinct, white to purple or violet, rarely yellow, subequal, not clawed; stamens 2–3 fertile and antisepalous, 3–4 staminodial and antipetalous (if 4, then 1 antisepalous); filaments glabrous or bearded; antherodes usually 3-lobed; ovary 3-locular, ovules 1–many per locule, 1 [–2] -seriate. Capsules 3-valved, 3-locular. Seeds 1–many per locule, 1 [–2] -seriate; hilum punctiform to linear; embryotega abaxial to semilateral. x = 6, 7, 9, 10, 11.
Distribution
Introduced; pantropical and warm temperate
Discussion
Species ca. 50 (3 in the flora).
Selected References
Lower Taxa
Key
| 1 | Flowers in 1-flowered cymes; cymes solitary or in fascicles; capsules (4–)5–9 mm | Murdannia keisak |
| 1 | Flowers in several-flowered cymes; cymes solitary or thyrses; capsules 2.5–5 mm. | > 2 |
| 2 | Bracteoles caducous; capsules with 2 seeds per locule; 2 stamens fertile, 4 staminodial | Murdannia nudiflora |
| 2 | Bracteoles persistent; capsules with 3–7 seeds per locule; 3 stamens fertile, 3 staminodial | Murdannia spirata |