Murdannia

Royle

Illustrations of the Botany... of the Himalayan Mountains... 403, plate 95, fig. 3. 1840.

Etymology: In honor of Murdan Aly, plant collector and keeper of the herbarium at Saharunpore
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 22. Treatment on page 190. Mentioned on page 191.

Herbs, annual or perennial. Roots thin [tuberous]. Leaves: blade sessile. Inflorescences terminal, terminal and axillary, or all axillary, thyrses to fascicles of 1-flowered cymes; spathaceous bracts absent; bracteoles persistent or caducous. Flowers bisexual or bisexual and staminate, radially or bilaterally symmetric; pedicels well developed; sepals distinct, subequal; petals distinct, white to purple or violet, rarely yellow, subequal, not clawed; stamens 2–3 fertile and antisepalous, 3–4 staminodial and antipetalous (if 4, then 1 antisepalous); filaments glabrous or bearded; antherodes usually 3-lobed; ovary 3-locular, ovules 1–many per locule, 1[–2]-seriate. Capsules 3-valved, 3-locular. Seeds 1–many per locule, 1[–2]-seriate; hilum punctiform to linear; embryotega abaxial to semilateral. x = 6, 7, 9, 10, 11.

Distribution

Introduced; pantropical and warm temperate.

Discussion

Species ca. 50 (3 in the flora).

Key

1 Flowers in 1-flowered cymes; cymes solitary or in fascicles; capsules (4–)5–9 mm Murdannia keisak
1 Flowers in several-flowered cymes; cymes solitary or thyrses; capsules 2.5–5 mm. > 2
2 Bracteoles caducous; capsules with 2 seeds per locule; 2 stamens fertile, 4 staminodial Murdannia nudiflora
2 Bracteoles persistent; capsules with 3–7 seeds per locule; 3 stamens fertile, 3 staminodial Murdannia spirata