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Flora of Australia OnlineGOMPHRENAGomphrena L., Sp. Pl. 1: 224 (1753), Gen. Pl. 5th edn, 105(1754); name said to have been derived by C.Linnaeus from the ancient Greek, gromphaena , a plant with leaves alternately green and pink along the stem (i.e. Amaranthus tricolor ) but more likely from gomphos (a club), referring to the globose heads of the type species. Type: Gomphrena globosa L. Herb. Stems furrowed longitudinally. Leaves opposite, sessile or shortly petiolate. Flowers bisexual, in terminal sessile or subsessile heads or short spikes; each flower subtended by a bract and 2 non-spiny, apically crested bracteoles. Perianth parts 5, ±free, equal or unequal, long woolly at least at base. Stamens 5; filaments connate into a 5-toothed staminal tube; teeth entire or deeply lobed, sometimes alternating with pseudo-staminodes; anthers 1-locular. Ovary with a single ovule; style short or long with 2 erect or diverging stigmas. Fruit thin-walled, irregularly rupturing, compressed. Seed compressed-ovoid. A genus of c. 90 species, mostly tropical American but with a few Australian natives; 1 introduced species on Christmas Is.
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Data derived from Flora of Australia volume 50 (1993), a product of ABRS, ©Commonwealth of Australia |