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Pedaliaceae (sesame family) Life
> eukaryotes >
Archaeoplastida >
Chloroplastida
>
Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants)
> Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants)
> Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering
plants) > Eudicotyledons > Core Eudicots > Asterids > Euasterid I > Order: Lamiales
There are about 13 genera and 70 species worldwide (mainly
tropics and subtropics) of which eight genera and 31 species are indigenous to
southern Africa, mainly in semi-arid regions.
Distinguishing characteristics
- Herbs or shrubs with mucilaginous hairs.
- Flowers are large and symmetric in only one axis (monosymmetric or
zygomorphic).
- Ovary is superior and has axile placentation.
- Fruits in many species have protuberances such as hooks and prickles.
Information from
Angiosperm Phylogeny Website.
Genera indigenous to southern Africa
This list from Smithies (2000) excludes the naturalised
genera Ibicella
and Proboscidea, which are placed in the
Martyniaceae (following Angiosperm
Phylogeny Website).
Ceratotheca
There are five species of which four occur in southern
Africa. |
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Dicerocaryum
Three species (tropical and subtropical Africa), of which
two occur in southern Africa. |
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Harpagophytum
Two species, endemic to southern Africa. |
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Holubia
One species: Holubia saccata, endemic to southern
Africa. |
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Pterodiscus
All 18 species are indigenous to Africa and four of them
occur in southern Africa. |
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Rogeria
Of the six species, five are found in Africa and one in
Brazil. Four of them occur in southern Africa. |
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Sesamothamnus
About five species, all African, of which three occur in
southern Africa. |
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Sesamum (sesame genus)
About 15 species, indigenous to Africa through to Europe
through to India and Sri Lanka. There are 11 species in southern Africa of
which one (Sesamum indicum - sesame) is an escapee. |
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Other genera, cultivated in southern Africa
From Glen (2002). As each of these genera has only one
representative cultivated in southern Africa, the species name is provided.
Uncarina sakalava
Indigenous to Madagascar. |
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Trapella sinensis (Hishi-modoki)
Indigenous to China, Korea and Japan.
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Publications
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Glen, H.F. 2002. Cultivated Plants of
Southern Africa. Jacana, Johannesburg.
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Smithies, S.J. 2000. Pedaliaceae. In: Seed Plants of
Southern Africa (ed. O.A. Leistner). Strelitzia 10: 436-440.
National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
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