PlantNET Home DONATE TODAY | PlantNET Home | Search NSW Flora | Contact Us  
FloraOnline
Introduction
Plant Name Search
Index Search
Spatial Search
Identification Keys
Classification
Glossary
WeedAlert
Telopea Journal
Other Data Sources
NEW SOUTH WALES FLORA ONLINE Printable Page

Family Hypoxidaceae

Description: Herbaceous perennials; underground stems well-developed, modified into a corm or tuberous rhizome.

Leaves basal, clustered, often longer than inflorescence; bases often persisting as a sheath or tunic enveloping the apical portion of the corm.

Inflorescences 1-flowered or scapose racemes or panicles. Flowers actinomorphic, usually 3-merous, bisexual. Tepals 4 or 6, ± equal, free or united basally into a narrow tube. Stamens 4 or 6, inserted at base of perianth lobes; filaments narrow, basifixed or epipeltate; anthers 2-locular, introrse to latrorse, dehiscing by longitudinal slits. Ovary inferior, usually 3-locular; ovules few–several per loculus, placentation axile; style short, 3-branched.

Fruit usually a capsule and mostly crowned by persistent remains of perianth, rarely fleshy and indehiscent; seeds with hard, shiny or dull, thick black or brown testa.


Distribution and occurrence: World: 7 or 8 genera, c. 180 species, tropical & temperate regions, chiefly of Southern Hemisphere. Australia: 3 genera, 12 species, all States.

External links:
Angiosperm Phylogeny Website (Family: Hypoxidaceae, Order: Asparagales)
Wikipedia

Molineria capitulata (Lour.) Herb., a native of N Qld and Asia is frequently cultivated as an ornamental houseplant. These genera have often been included in the Liliaceae s. lat.

Text by P. G. Richards
Taxon concept:

 Key to the genera 
1Leaves usually more than 5 mm wide; inflorescence inconspicuous, amongst leaf bases; perianth tubular at base; fruit fleshyCurculigo
Leaves less than 5 mm wide; inflorescence conspicuous; tepals more or less free; fruit dryHypoxis

  Privacy | Copyright | Disclaimer | About PlantNET | Cite PlantNET