Turneraceae

The Turneraceae is a plant family consisting of 10 genera and 205 species, primarily found in tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, Africa, Madagascar, and the Mascarene Islands. This family is part of the order Malpighiales.12

Key characteristics of Turneraceae include:
* Hairy, toothed leaves with prominent secondary venation, but lacking stipules.1
* Flowers where the calyx and corolla form a tube, with petals that overlap and quickly become soggy after wilting.1
* Often bifid and fringed stigmas.1
* Capsular fruits containing seeds with a minutely reticulate testa and a fleshy appendage called an aril.1

The largest genera within this family are Turnera (122 species) and Piriqueta (44 species), both found in the Neotropics and Africa. Merriam-Webster defines Turneraceae as a family of mostly tropical American herbs or shrubs with flowers typically having five stamens, three styles, and a free ovary.13