Murdannia

Antony, Anna Ancy & Nampy, Santhosh, 2014, Taxonomic significance of capsule and seed characters of Indian species of Murdannia Royle (Commelinaceae), Phytotaxa 178 (1), pp. 1-22 : 18-19

Key to Indian species of Murdannia based on seed and capsule characters

1. Seeds uniseriate ..................................................................................................................................................................................2

- Seeds biseriate ..................................................................................................................................................................................20

2. Seeds 1 per locule, elliptic to broadly elliptic ....................................................................................................................................3

- Seeds 2 or more per locule, ovate to rectangular or otherwise, pyramidal ........................................................................................4

3 Capsule widely obovate; seeds smooth with raised flaky material on the surface.......................................................... M. assamica

- Capsule ovate to sub globose; seeds foveolate-reticulate................................................................................................. M. vaginata

4. Capsule apically maroon tinged, surface not granular .......................................................................................................... M. edulis

- Capsule not apically so, surface granular ...........................................................................................................................................5

5. Seeds 2 or very rarely 3 per locule .....................................................................................................................................................6

- Seeds always more than 2 per locule................................................................................................................................................10

6. Seeds 2.2–4 × 1.8–3 mm, embryotega dorsal.....................................................................................................................................7

- Seeds 1–2.5 × 0.7- 1mm, embryotega semidorsal..............................................................................................................................8

7. Capsule 7-10 × 5-6 mm; seeds 3-4 × 2.5-3 ...................................................................................................................... M. gigantea

- Capsule 1–2 × 0.8–1.6 mm; seeds 0.6–1 × 0.5–0.8 mm ............................................................................................... M. sahyadrica

8. Testa foveolate-reticulate, pale warty around depressions .................................................................................................................9

- Testa foveolate/ scrobiculate,warts absent.......................................................................................................................... M. simplex

9. Capsule ovate, testa with slight ridges and furrows, hilum linear to oblong.................................................................. M. loriformis

- Capsule ovate–sub globose, testa without ridges and furrows, hilum elliptic................................................................. M. nudiflora 10. Capsule sub-globose, embryotega dorsal in a pit, testa tuberculate, hilum rounded........................................................ M. japonica

- Capsule oblong–ovate–elliptic, embryotega dorsal/ semidorsal not in pit, testa not tuberculate, hilum not rounded.....................11

11. Testa smooth.....................................................................................................................................................................................12

- Testa foveolate, foveolate/ alveolate-reticulate, scrobiculate...........................................................................................................17

12. Testa regularly pitted (5–6 pits) in lines with raised farinose materials in these depression ......................................... M. pauciflora

- Testa not regularly pitted in lines .....................................................................................................................................................13

13. Testa always with a deep pit laterally, hilum on the side of pit....................................................................................... M. dimorpha

- Testa without a lateral pit, hilum on a mid ventral ridge..................................................................................................................14

14. Testa warty........................................................................................................................................................................................15

- Testa never warty..............................................................................................................................................................................16

15. Apical seeds triangular .................................................................................................................................................... M. esculenta

- Apical seeds oblong to ovate.......................................................................................................................................... M. versicolor

16. Farinose fused to cover the surface, hilum elliptic to linear............................................................................................ M. divergens

- Farinose not covering the surface, hilum ovate................................................................................................................ M. triquetra

17. Testa foveolate/ alveolate–reticulate ................................................................................................................................................18

- Testa foveate or scrobiculate ............................................................................................................................................................19

18. Seeds 5–7 per locule, testa alveolate–reticulate, testa without ridges and warts ........................................................ M. striatipetala

- Seeds 3 or 4 per locule, testa foveolate–reticulate, testa ridged and warty......................................................................... M. spirata

19. Testa foveate, with flattish raised warts........................................................................................................................... M. zeylanica

- Testa scrobiculate, without flattish raised warts................................................................................................................. M. hookeri

20. Testa smooth, without flattish raised warts .....................................................................................................................................21

- Testa foveolate–reticulate, flattish raised warts............................................................................................................. M. lanuginosa

21. Testa striate.......................................................................................................................................................................................22

- Testa not striate.................................................................................................................................................................................23

22. Testa with farinose material, hilum elliptic ..................................................................................................................... M. juncoides

- Testa without farinose material, hilum dotted ................................................................................................................. M. semiteres

23. Capsules ovate, testa scrobiculate ............................................................................................................. M. crocea subsp. ochracea

- Capsule oblong to elliptic, testa not scrobiculate .............................................................................................................................24

24. Seeds 20 per locule, embryotega dorsal in a pit ............................................................................................................ M. lanceolata

- Seeds 10–16 per locule, embryotega not in a pit..............................................................................................................................25

25. Seeds 1.2–1.5 × 0.3–0.5 mm, testa without ridges and furrows..................................................................................... M. fadeniana

- Seeds 0.5–0.6 × 0.5 mm, testa with minute ridges and warts radiating down from the embryotega.................................. M. blumei