BASELLACEAE
Morphological description
Herbaceous climbers; usually rhizome or tuberous root present; exstipulate.
Leaves
Leaves simple, spiral, entire, penninerved.
Flowers
Flower actinomorphic, tepals connate at base; ovary superior, 1-locular, 1 ovule, styles 3.
Different from: Amaranthaceae (Deeringia): more or less woody, tepals scarious.
Distribution: The family native in America, some species cultivated and naturalized elsewhere. In Malesia 2 genera: Anredera and Basella.
Notes: Cultivated as an ornamental: Anredera (2 spp.). - Leaves eaten as a vegetable, also used medicinally: Basella.
Literature: C.G.G. J. van Steenis, Fl. Males. I, 5 (1957) 300-304.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Basellaceae Stamens opposite petals in the flower: Basellaceae – Climbers without hook or tendrils: Anredera, Basella – Bulbils: Anredera.
Illustrations: Fig. 29. Anredera cordifolia (Tenore) Steen. (Basellaceae). Reproduced from Flora Malesiana I, 5 (1957) 303, fig. 2a.
Images in PhytoImage for Basellaceae.