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Electronic Flora of South Australia genus Fact Sheet

Family: Frankeniaceae
Frankenia

Citation: L., Sp. Pl. 331 (1753).

Derivation: After Johan Frankenius, 1590-1661, Professor of Botany at the University of Uppsala, Sweden.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Seaheaths, frankenias.

Description:
Stamens 3-12; style-branches and placentae typically 1-3, rarely 4.

Distribution:  About 60 species in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and North and South America; confined primarily to saline and gypseous soils.

Biology: No text

Key to Species:
4. Leaf blades terete; margins on fresh, boiled and dried leaves strongly and tightly revolute so as to conceal the abaxial surface and the inconspicuous mid-vein almost entirely
F. subteres 11.
4. Leaf blades not terete, flat or with loosely to tightly revolute margins; margins on fresh and boiled leaves not so strongly revolute as to conceal almost entirely the abaxial surface and mid-vein; mid-vein abaxially raised or inconspicuous
 
5. Ovules 20 or more
F. cupularis 4.
5. Ovules 18 or fewer
 
6. Mid-veins broad, flat, very prominent
F. pauciflora var. fruticulosa 6a.
6. Mid-veins inconspicuous to somewhat abaxially raised, not broad or flat or very prominent
F. pauciflora var. gunnii 6b.
2. Leaf bases not tapering toward the distal end
 
7. Leaves decurrent; leaf bases extremely reduced, with leaf blades extending below the point of insertion
F. cinerea 1.
7. Leaves not decurrent; leaf blades not extending below the point of insertion
 
8. Leaf blades subterete with very strongly thickened tightly revolute margins; mid-veins broad, flat and very prominent; leaf bases usually extremely reduced, extending almost to the point of insertion, commonly 0.1-0.4, sometimes up to 0.7 mm long; stigmas 0.3-0.5 mm long
F. foliosa 5.
8. Leaves not subterete, flat or with loosely to tightly revolute margins, not strongly thickened; mid-veins usually inconspicuous to abaxially raised and not broad or flat or very prominent; leaf bases 0.7-2 mm long; stigmas 0.5-1.2 mm long
F. cupularis 4.
1. Ovules 6 or fewer
 
9. Floral bracts enveloping and conspicuously adnate to the lower portion of the calyx for 0.8-1.5 mm; leaf blades usually cordate at the base
F. cordata 2.
9. Floral bracts not conspicuously adnate to the lower portion of the calyx; leaf blades not cordate at the base
 
10. Ovules 2 or 3, attached near or above the middle of the ovary
 
11. Branches hirtellous, hairs spreading; leaf blade margins strongly revolute so as to conceal the abaxial surface almost entirely; mid-vein inconspicuous; leaf bases not narrowing at the distal end, 0.1-0.5 mm long, 0.8-1.2 mm wide at the distal end
F. sessilis 10.
11. Branches short-pilose, hairs appressed, recurved; leaf blade margins moderately revolute; mid-vein prominent, occupying almost the entire abaxial surface; leaf bases narrowing markedly at the distal end, 0.8-1.5 mm long, 0.2-0.3 mm wide at the distal end
F. crispa 3.
10. Ovules 2-6, attached in the lower one-half of the ovary
 
12. Ovules 2-6, pendulous on long strongly recurving funicles attached 0.1-0.5 mm from the carpel base, 1 or 2 per placenta, if 2 per placenta attached at the same point
 
13. Margins on fresh, boiled and dried leaves strongly and tightly revolute so as to conceal the abaxial surface and inconspicuous mid-vein almost entirely; style-branches one-ninth to one-fifth the style length; stigmas 0.2-0.3 mm long
F. plicata 7.
13. Leaf blades flat or with loosely to tightly revolute margins; margins on fresh and boiled leaves not so strongly revolute as to conceal almost entirely the abaxial surface; mid-vein abaxially raised or inconspicuous; style-branches usually one-fourth to three-fifths the style length; stigmas usually 0.4-1.5 mm long
F. serpyllifolia 9.
12. Ovules 6, borne on erect to lightly curved funicles, attached 0.5-1 mm from the carpel base, usually 2 per placenta and attached at different points
F. pauciflora var. fruticulosa 6a.

Author: Not yet available


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