Stylidiaceae

Stylidiaceae
Stylidium amoenum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Stylidiaceae
R.Br.
Genera
Synonyms

Candolleaceae F.Muell.

The family Stylidiaceae is a taxon of dicotyledonous flowering plants. It consists of five genera with over 240 species, most of which are endemic to Australia and New Zealand. Members of Stylidiaceae are typically grass-like herbs or small shrubs and can be perennials or annuals. Most species are free standing or self-supporting, though a few can be climbing or scrambling (Stylidium scandens uses leaf tips recurved into hooks to climb).

The pollination mechanisms of Stylidium and Levenhookia are as follows: In Stylidium the floral column, which consists of the fused stamen and style, springs violently from one side (usually under the flower) when triggered. This deposits the pollen on a visiting insect. In Levenhookia, however, the column is immobile, but the hooded labellum is triggered and sheds pollen.

In 1981, only about 155 species were known in the family.[1] The current number of species by genus (reported in 2002) is as follows: Forstera - 5, Levenhookia - 10, Oreostylidium - 1, Phyllachne - 4, and Stylidium - 221. These numbers, especially for Stylidium, are changing rapidly as new species are described.[2]

Stylidium rotundifolium appeared in Joseph Banks' Florilegium (plate 173), drawn from a specimen collected at Endeavour River, Australia in 1770.[3]

  1. ^ Cronquist, Arthur (1981). An Integrated System of Classification of Flowering Plants. New York: Columbia University Press. pp. 986–987. ISBN 0-231-03880-1.
  2. ^ Wagstaff, S.J. and Wege, J. (2002). Patterns of diversification in New Zealand Stylidiaceae. American Journal of Botany, 89(5): 865-874. (Available online: HTML or PDF versions).
  3. ^ "'Discovering the Unexpected' · Type & Forme". www.typeandforme.com. 6 October 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.