Martyniaceae

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

Read about Martyniaceae in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Martyniaceae (from the genus Martynia, in honor of Prof. John Martyn of Cambridge, England). Martynia Family. Fig. 53. Annual or perennial, glandular-hairy herbs: leaves opposite, or alternate: flowers bisexual, irregular, but not bilabiate; calyx 5-cleft; corolla 5-lobed, gamopetalous, hypogynous; stamens 4, didynamous, rarely 2, the others staminodial, epipetalous, alternating with the corolla-lobes; hypogynous disk present, regular; ovary superior, of 2 carpels but 1-celled; placenta; parietal; ovules several; style 1; stigmas 2: fruit a more or less long, curved, beaked capsule, with a fleshy pericarp, becoming falsely 4-celled. About 3 genera and 10 species inhabit tropical and subtropical America. One species reaches southern Indiana. The family is closely related to the Pedaliaceae, with which it has generally been united. The horned fruit 1-celled ovary, parietal placenta; and less slimy pubescence, are distinctive characters. The turnip-like root of Craniolaria annua, known in South America as escorzonera, is cooked with sugar or eaten as a vegetable. The fruits of Martynia (or Proboscidea) Louisiana (M. proboscidea) are sometimes used as pickles. One genus is in cultivation in this country, namely Martynia (Unicorn Plant, Proboscis Flower), of which 3 or 4 species are grown. The Craniolarias of the trade seem to be Martynias. CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

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