Glischrocaryon Endl.

Scientific Description

Common name. Golden pennants. Family Haloragaceae.

Habit and leaf form. Erect herbs; often deciduous. Perennial. Stem growth not conspicuously sympodial (monopodial). Mesophytic. Leaves alternate; spiral; sessile; non-sheathing; simple; epulvinate. Leaf blades entire; ovate, or obovate, or linear; one-veined, or pinnately veined. Leaves without stipules. Stem anatomy. Secondary thickening absent, or developing from a conventional cambial ring.

Reproductive type, pollination. Fertile flowers hermaphrodite. Unisexual flowers absent. Plants hermaphrodite. Anemophilous.

Inflorescence and flower features. Flowers solitary, or aggregated in ‘inflorescences’; in cymes. The terminal inflorescence unit cymose. Inflorescences terminal; terminal cymes of compound dichasia; pseudanthial, or not pseudanthial. Flowers pedicellate (pedicels filamentous); bracteate; bracteolate; minute to small; regular; (2–)4 merous; cyclic; tetracyclic, or pentacyclic. Free hypanthium absent. Perianth with distinct calyx and corolla; 4, or 8; 2 -whorled; isomerous; free. Calyx present; 2, or 4; 1 -whorled; polysepalous; valvate; exceeded by the corolla; regular; persistent. Sepals triangular (deltoid). Corolla present; 2, or 4; 1 -whorled; polypetalous; regular; cream, or yellow. Petals hooded, or not hooded; navicular, or not navicular. Androecial members definite in number. Androecium 4, or 8. Androecial members free of the perianth; all equal; free of one another; 1 -whorled, or 2 -whorled. Androecium exclusively of fertile stamens. Stamens 4, or 8; all more or less similar in shape; isomerous with the perianth, or diplostemonous; alternisepalous and oppositisepalous; filantherous (with rather large anthers). Anthers basifixed; non-versatile; dehiscing via longitudinal slits; latrorse; four locular; tetrasporangiate; appendaged, or unappendaged; usually apiculate. Gynoecium (2–)3–4 carpelled. The pistil 1 celled. Gynoecium syncarpous; synovarious; inferior. Ovary unilocular; pseudo- 1 locular. Epigynous disk absent. Gynoecium stylate. Styles 2, or 4; free; apical. Stigmas capitate. Ovules in the single cavity 4; pendulous; anatropous.

Fruit and seed features. Fruit non-fleshy; indehiscent; a nut; 1 locular; 1 seeded. Seeds more or less copiously endospermic. Endosperm oily. Cotyledons 2. Embryo straight.

Special features. Inflorescence determinate.

Etymology. From the Greek for "gluey" and "nut".