Paulowniaceae

Trees, not fleshy, autotrophic. Leaves deciduous [persistent], cauline, opposite, rarely in whorls of 3, simple; stipules absent; petiole present; blade not fleshy, not leathery, margins entire or shallowly 3(–5)-lobed and usually serrate to dentate on leaves of young plants. Inflorescences terminal thyrses of (1–)3–8(–11)-flowered cymes. Flowers bisexual, perianth and androecium hypogynous; sepals 5, connate, calyx bilaterally symmetric; petals 5, connate, corolla bilaterally symmetric, bilabiate, funnelform; stamens 4, proximally adnate to corolla, didynamous, staminode 0; pistil 1, 2-carpellate, ovary superior, 2-locular, placentation axile; ovules anatropous, unitegmic, tenuinucellate; style 1; stigma 1. Fruits capsules, dehiscence loculicidal. Seeds ca. 2000, brown, ellipsoid; embryo straight, endosperm present.

Distribution

e Asia, introduced also in Europe.

Discussion

Genus 1, species 7 (1 in the flora).

Paulownia has been allied with Bignoniaceae or Scrophulariaceae based on morphological, anatomical, and embryological evidence (D. H. Campbell 1930; J. E. Armstrong 1985). Molecular phylogenetic evidence showed that it does not belong with Bignoniaceae or Scrophulariaceae; instead it is an isolated lineage near Lamiaceae, Orobanchaceae, and Phrymaceae (R. G. Olmstead et al. 2001; B. Oxelman et al. 2005).

Selected References

Campbell, D. H. 1930. The relationships of Paulownia. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 57: 47–50.

Hu, S. Y. 1959. A monograph of the genus Paulownia. Quart. J. Taiwan Mus. 12: 1–54.

Hu, S. Y. 1961. The economic botany of the paulownias. Econ. Bot. 15: 11–27.

Liang, Z. Y. and Chen Z. Y. 1997. Studies of the cytological taxonomy of the genus Paulownia. J. Huazhong Agric. Univ. 16: 609–613.

Millsaps, V. 1936. The structure and development of the seed of Paulownia tomentosa Steud. J. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc. 52: 56–75.

Lower Taxa

Paulownia

Illustrations

	Family ⠉	Plate of taxon	Illustrator ⠉
	Phrymaceae Paulowniaceae Orobanchaceae	Diplacus longiflorus Paulownia tomentosa Schwalbea americana	Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey