4. Carlemanniaceae
香茜科 xiang qian ke
Authors: Tao Chen & Anthony R. Brach
Perennial herbs, shrubs, or subshrubs, often somewhat fleshy; stems with interpetiolar line. Leaves opposite, petiolate, simple, estipulate, ± asymmetric, dentate or crenate-serrate. Flowers bisexual, slightly zygomorphic, in terminal or axillary cymes or corymbs, sometimes heterostylous. Calyx tube adnate to ovary, 4- or 5-lobed; lobes ± unequal. Corolla 4- or 5-lobed; lobes imbricate or induplicate-valvate. Stamens 2, inserted at middle of corolla tube; filaments short; anthers linear-oblong, opening laterally by slits, connivent around style. Disk well developed, conical or cylindrical. Ovary inferior, 2-loculed, each locule with ovules many (30-100) in axile to basal placentation. Fruit a 2-loculed, dry or fleshy capsule, 2- or 5-valvate; calyx lobes persistent. Seeds many (30-100), ovoid, smooth, with endosperm ± fleshy.
Two genera and five species: tropical Asia; two genera and three species in China.
Although previously treated in FRPS within the Rubiaceae, the Carlemanniaceae is treated separately here (see APG, Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 85: 531-553. 1998; M. Thiv in Kubitzki, Fam. Gen. Vasc. Pl. 7: 57-59. 2004). It has also been included by various authors in the Caprifoliaceae.
Herein, the term "calyx tube" refers to the ovary plus the tubular free portion of the calyx limb, but not including the calyx lobes when these are present.
Lo Hsienshui. 1999. Carlemannia and Silvianthus. In: Lo Hsienshui, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 71(1): 175-179.
