Camphorosmoideae
| Camphorosmoideae | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Camphorosma monspeliaca, Illustration | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Core eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Amaranthaceae |
| Subfamily: |
Camphorosmoideae A. J. Scott |
| Genera | |
|
about 20 genera, see text |
|
about 20 genera, see text
The Camphorosmoideae are a species-rich subfamily of the Amaranthaceae, formerly in family Chenopodiaceae.
The Camphorosmoideae are mostly dwarf shrubs or annuals (rarely perennial herbs) with spreading or ascending branches. The plants are more or less densely covered with appressed or spreading hairs. The alternate leaves are often succulent, only a few annual species have thin and flat leaves.
The inconspicuous flowers are sitting solitary or in axillary clusters of 2–3 (5) in the axil of a subtending bract. They differ from the related subfamily Salsoloideae by the absence of bracteoles. The flowers are mostly bisexual. The perianth consists of (3-) 5 membranous or scarious tepals, which are often fused for about 1/5 to 4/5 of their length. 4-5 stamens are basally fused in a hypogynous disc. They have mostly exserted anthers without appendages. The pollen grains differ from Salsoloideae by greater diameter, and higher number of smaller pores with fewer spinulae per operculum. The horizontal or more rarely vertical ovary is uniovulate, with a distinct style and 2 filiform stigmas with papillae on the entire surface.
The perianth persists end encloses the fruit. The tepals can enlarge, or develop wings, spines or long hairs, or become fleshy or woody. The seed with thin testa contains an annular or folded embryo sometimes engirdling a rudimentary central perisperm.
The species of Chenolea-Clade and the great Sclerolaena-Clade are C3-plants. In Bassia/Camphorosma-Clade, the species are C4-plants, with one exception that is C3/C4-intermediate.
The Camphorosmoideae are distributed in mainly in Australia (ca. 147 species) and in the temperate and subtropical regions of the northern hemisphere: Eurasia including North-Africa (ca. 27 species), and North-America (2 species), in South-Africa (3 species). A few species are naturalized worldwide.
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Wikipedia