Diapensiaceae

Abstract

Low-growing, generally mat-forming, evergreen herbs or shrublets with ecto-and endotrophic mycorrhizae. Leaves alternate, simple, linear-lanceolate, exstipulate, usually crowded on stems, or leaves round-cordate, petiolate, and fewer. Flowers solitary or in compact racemes, perfect, actinomorphic, hypogynous, slightly protogynous or homogamous; prophylls usually present; perianth biseriate, pentamerous, imbricate; sepals free or connate into a 5-lobed tube, persistent; petals 5, white, purple, or rarely yellow, caducous, connate into a sympetalous corolla or (Galax) almost free; stamens 5, attached to corolla tube and alternate with its lobes, distinct or connate basally in a ring, in all but Diapensia and Pyxidanthera alternating with 5 staminodia; anthers tetrasporangiate or (Galax) disporangiate, dehiscing longitudinally or (Galax,Pyxidanthera) transversely; nectary disk absent; gynoecium 3-carpellate; ovary syncarpous, 3-locular; ovules few to many on more or less intrusive placentas; ovules anatropous to campylotropous, unitegmic, tenuinucellate; style simple, hollow; stigma 3-lobed (Diapensia with 3 style branches). Fruit a loculicidal capsule; seeds thin, with exotestal seed coat, a central straight or slightly curved embryo and abundant fleshy endosperm.