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What flower and fruit features occur in the four-o'clock family Nyctaginaceae?
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Caryophyllales
Pink carnation flowers (Dianthus caryophyllus).
In the Nyctaginaceae family, which belongs to the Caryophyllales order, flower and fruit characteristics are distinct:
Flower Features
- Perianth: The flowers lack true petals. Instead, they possess a small, tubular, petal-like structure known as the perianth, which is likely equivalent to sepals in other plants.1
- Bracts: These plants feature colored, leaflike structures called bracts. These bracts may fuse and resemble petals, or in some species, they act like sepals to enclose a single, brightly colored perianth whorl.1
Fruit Features
- Type: The fruit is a small, dry achene containing a single seed.1
- Structure: Fruits are often grooved or winged and are frequently surrounded by the persistent perianth tube, which can become fleshy.1
- Trichomes: The fruit surface may be covered in sticky plant hairs (trichomes). In some species, such as the birdcatcher tree (Pisonia), these sticky hairs are potent enough to ensnare small birds.1