Gerrardanthus parviflorus

Interesting Facts

Description

Family Cucurbitaceae

The Cucurbitaceae are mostly prostrate or climbing herbaceous annuals comprising about 90 genera and 700 species that are further characterized by commonly having 5-angled stems and coiled tendrils . The leaves are alternate and usually palmately 5-lobed or divided ; stipules are absent. The flowers are actinomorphic and nearly always unisexual . The perianth has a short to prolonged epigynous zone that bears a calyx of 3-6 segments or lobes and 3-6 petals or more frequently a 3-6-lobed sympetalous corolla. The androecium is highly variable, consisting of basically 5 distinct to completely connate stamens that frequently are twisted, folded or reduced in number. The gynoecium consists of a single compound pistil of 2-5 carpels, generally with one style and as many style branches or major stigma lobes as carpels, and an inferior ovary with one locule and usually numerous ovules on 2-5 parietal placentae or 3 locules with numerous ovules on axile placentae. The fruit is a type of berry called a pepo . -- Gerald Carr.

Taxonomy

[ Back to top ]

Domain: Eukaryota () - Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Plantae () - Haeckel, 1866 - Plants
  - Subkingdom: Viridaeplantae () - Cavalier-Smith, 1981
    - Phylum: Tracheophyta () - Sinnott, 1935 ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - Vascular Plants
      - Subphylum: Euphyllophytina ()
        Infraphylum: Radiatopses () - Kenrick & Crane, 1997
        Class: Magnoliopsida () - Brongniart, 1843 - Dicotyledons
        Subclass: Rosidae () - Takhtajan, 1967
        Superorder: Violanae () - R. Dahlgren Ex Reveal, 1992
        Order: Cucurbitales () - Dumortier, 1829
        Family: Cucurbitaceae () - A.L. de Jussieu, 1789, nom. cons. - citrouilles, gourdes, gourds, squashes
        Subfamily: Nhandiroboideae ()
        Genus: Gerrardanthus () - Harvey ex J.D. Hooker, in Bentham & J.D. Hooker, 1867
        Specific epithet: parviflorus - Cogn.
        Botanical name: - Gerrardanthus parviflorus Cogn.