SCROPHULARIACEAE
NB This family used to include genera that are now placed in, e.g., Linderniaceae, Orobanchaceae, Phrymaceae and Plantaginiaceae. This Plant Portrait (and the data in the key leadin to the family) still reflects the Scrophulariaceae s.l. and needs to be updated.
Morphological description
Usually herbs, stem quadrangular. Sometimes trees, stellate hairs, seeds winged (Wightia); shrubs (Brookea, Cyrtandromoea, Detzneria); hemiparasites, drying black (Buchnera, Striga).
Leaves
Leaves simple, usually opposite, serrate/dentate; exstipulate.
Inflorescence
Inflorescence.
Flowers
Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, sympetalous; ovary superior. Usually disk present, often one-sided, stamens 4. Sometimes calyx winged (Torenia).
Fruit
Fruit a 2-locular, many-seeded capsule; style 1, terminal.
Seed
Sometimes seeds winged (Wightia).
Different from: Acanthaceae: stem with nodes, cystoliths, few seeds, jaculators. - Gesneriaceae: fruit 1-locular. - Labiatae: style gynobasic, plants usually aromatic, fruit few-seeded. - Verbenaceae: flowers hardly zygomorphic, ovary 4-locular, fruit 4-seeded.
Distribution: Worldwide, in Malesia 32 genera, including: - Limnophila (paleotropical), herbs, mostly wet open places; - Lindernia (pantropical), prostrate herbs, open places; - Parahebe (New Guinea, Australia), shrubs, submontane forest, alpines; - Torenia (pantropical), herbs, open places, also forest.
Notes: Several species cultivated as orna-mentals: Angelonia*, Antirrhinum*, Mazus*, Russelia*. - Medicinal plants: Digitalis*. - Potential native ornamentals: Brookea, Detzneria, Parahebe, Wightia.
Literature: C.A. Backer & R.C. Bakhuizen van den Brink, Fl. Java 2 (1965) 498-515; T. Yamazaki, Fl. Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam 21 (1985) 1-217.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Scrophulariaceae 58 - Angelonia 46 - Buchnera 11, 54 - Cyrtandromoea 15, 47 - Limnophila 31, 46 - Maurandya 5, 6 - Russelia 46 - Scoparia 46 - Sopubia 46 - Stemodia 46 - Striga 11, 54 - Veronica 46 - Wightia 102.
Illustrations: Fig. 160. Lindernia procumbens (Crock.) Philcox (Scrophulariaceae). Reproduced from C.A. Backer, Weed Flora of Javanese Sugar-cane fields, Atlas pt 16 (1973) t. 588. Fig. 161. Parahebe albiflora (Pennell) P. Royen (Scrophulariaceae). Flowering branch. Reproduced from P. van Royen, Alpine Flora of New Guinea 4 (1983) 2867, fig. 832. Fig. 162. Torenia polygonoides Benth. (Scrophulariaceae). Reproduced from Hsuan Keng, Orders and Families of Malayan Seed plants (1978).
Image in PhytoImages for Scrophulariaceae