Plumbaginaceae
Herbs, shrubs, occasionally climbers. Lvs alternate, exstipulate, commonly in basal rosettes. Infl. spicate, paniculate, or capitate, simple or cymosely branched, often scapose; fls often aggregated into small bracteate spikelets. Bracts often sheathing, dry and scarious. Fls 5-merous, ⚥. Calyx gamosepalous, tubular below, usually scarious, sometimes partly membranous; lobes often conspicuously ribbed and pleated, often persistent. Corolla mostly gamopetalous, imbricate, often connate only near base, sometimes tube long. Stamens antipetalous, ± epipetalous, but sometimes only adnate to base of segments. Disc 0. Ovary superior, usually sessile, 1-locular; placenta basal; ovule 1, pendulous; styles 5, or 1 with 5 stigmatic lobes. Fr. dry, membranous, indehiscent or regularly or irregularly dehiscent, surrounded by calyx. Seed with mealy endosperm.
10 genera, 250-500 spp., widespread but especially in coastal and steppe regions.
Many Plumbaginaceae are salt-tolerant, xerophytic plants. A few spp. are very common in cultivation in N.Z.; in nearly all areas at least 1 sp. of the genus Ceratostigma Bunge is grown and in warmer areas the South African Plumbago capensis Thumb. is common. Both are ± woody with leafy stems, a calyx which is only partly scarious and usually a blue corolla with a slender tube.
