Frankeniaceae

Herbs, subshrubs, or shrubs, perennial or, rarely, annual. Stems rounded to noticeably angled. Leaves opposite, simple, petiolate or sessile, with salt glands, estipulate, paired leaves connate basally by membranous, sheathing margins with stiff, white hairs, flattened and appressed to stem; petiole narrow to broad, fleshy to flattened and chartaceous; blade margins entire. Inflorescences solitary flowers or terminal or axillary, simple or compound dichasia (frequently with some monochasial branching), bracteate; bracts [2]4, basally connate (rarely incompletely connate). Flowers bisexual [unisexual]; sepals 4–6[–7], persistent, connate, ribbed; petals 4–6[–7], distinct, clawed basally, limb spreading, scalelike appendage or ligule embryo straight; endosperm present.

Distribution

United States, Mexico, South America, Eurasia, Africa, Atlantic Islands, Australia, introduced in West Indies.

Discussion

Genus 1, species ca. 70 (5 in the flora).

Kubitzki (2003b) recognized two genera, Frankenia and Hypericopsis, in Frankeniaceae; molecular evidence supports inclusion of Hypericopsis within Frankenia (J. F. Gaskin et al. 2004). Molecular studies have placed Frankeniaceae and Tamaricaceae, which generally have been recognized as related families, in the Caryophyllales (for example, P. Cuénoud et al. 2002).

Selected References

Gaskin, J. F. et al. 2004. A systematic overview of Frankeniaceae and Tamaricaceae from nuclear rDNA and plastid sequence data. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 91: 401–409.

Kubitzki, K. 2003b. Frankeniaceae. In: K. Kubitzki et al., eds. 1990+. The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants. 10+ vols. Berlin etc. Vol. 5, pp. 209–212.

Lower Taxa

Frankenia

Illustrations

	Family ⠉	Taxon	Illustrator ⠉
	Cistaceae Cistaceae Frankeniaceae	Crocanthemum bicknellii Crocanthemum scoparium var. scoparium Frankenia salina	John Myers John Myers Linny Heagy