Family
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Araceae
- The Araceae are rhizomatous or tuberous herbs
comprising about 110 genera and 1,800 species, usually
with calcium oxalate crystals or raphides and commonly
with milky sap. The leaves are alternate, simple or
compound, petiolate, sometimes very large, and usually
with a sheathing base. The inflorescence is a fleshy
spike or spadix subtended or commonly partially enveloped
by a bract or spathe which is sometimes petaloid or
brightly colored. The tiny flowers are actinomorphic,
bisexual or unisexual, and are sessile or sometimes
embedded in the floral axis. The perianth is nearly
always absent in unisexual flowers but in bisexual
flowers typically consists of 4-6 small, undifferentiated
tepals that are free or connate. The androecium of
a typical male flower usually consists of 2, 4, or
8 distinct or variously connate stamens that are opposite
the tepals when these are present. The gynoecium of
a typical female flower consists of a single compound
pistil of mostly 3 but up to 15 carpels, a single
style, and a superior ovary with sometimes one locule
and 1-numerous parietal ovules or more frequently
3 or more locules, each with 1-numerous axile-apical
to axile-basal ovules. The fruit is a berry.
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