
486  Subclass VII. ASTERIDAE
androecium. Calyx (2-)5(-10)-lobed, lobes imbricate or 
valvate. Corolla usually 5-lobed, lobes valvate (some-
times induplicate) or less often imbricate (Sphenocleaceae). 
Stamens as many as petals and alternate with them, or 
2–3, seemingly free from the corolla and attached to the 
annular, epigynous nectary disc or variously attached to 
the corolla tube; fi laments free, or variously coherent or 
connate, the fi lament bases often expanded, forming a 
dome-shaped chamber over the nectary disc (the latter 
enlarged and  glandlike in Adenophora), anthers bas-
ifi xed, introrse or extrorse, tetrasporangiate, opening 
longitudinally. Tapetum secretory. Microsporogenesis 
simultaneous. Pollen grains 2-celled or less often 
3-celled, colpate, colporate, or porate. Gynoecium of 
2–10 carpels; style simple or lobed; ovary inferior or 
seldom semi- inferior, rarely superior, 1–3-locular with 
two parietal placentas (as in some Lobelioideae), or 
often with as many locules as carpels, commonly 
crowned by nectary disc. Ovules usually numerous, 
anatropous, unitegmic, tenuinucellate, with well-devel-
oped endothelium. Female gametophyte of Polygonum-
type. Endosperm cellular, with typical terminal haustoria 
(but only in Pentaphragmataceae with micropylar haus-
torium). Fruits usually capsules, loculicidal, septicidal, 
or less often poricidal, in Sphenocleaceae and Parischella 
circumscissile (pyxidia), but sometimes indehiscent. 
Seeds with small, winged, or wingless, usually straight 
embryo and usually copious, oily or rarely starchy 
endosperm. Iridoids wanting, alkaloids usually present, 
cyanogenic; storing carbohydrate as inulin, n = 5–20, 
rarely up to 56.
Via the Pentaphragmataceae and archaic genus 
Cyananthus the order Campanulales is connected with 
the Desfontainiales, especially with Escalloniaceae 
(Takhtajan 1987).
Key to Families
1  Plants without laticifers. Flowers lacking any spe-
cialized mechanism for secondary pollen presenta-
tion. Inulin and alkaloids absent.
2 Vessels with scalariform perforations with 
numerous bars. Fiber-tracheids with prominently 
bordered pits. Perennial coarse herbs often with 
fl eshy or succulent stems. Leaves alternate, often 
relatively large, petiolate, simple, entire or den-
tate, usually strongly asymmetric at base, often 
with branching hairs. Stomata anomocytic, sur-
rounded by three or four cells somewhat differ-
entiated from the ordinary epidermal cells. 
Flowers in dense, axillary or extra-axillary, sym-
podial helicoid cymes with usually conspicuous 
membranous bracts, bisexual or rarely unisexual 
(plant dioecious). Sepals fi ve, unequal, imbri-
cate, persistent. Corolla usually fl eshy or carti-
laginous, rarely delicate, persistent, seemingly 
choripetalous in some species, with fi ve, rarely 
(Pentaphragma tetrapetalum) four, valvate lobes 
or petals. Stamens 5(4), alternating with petals, 
inserted in the throat of the corolla tube, shortly 
below sinuses or on the margins of the top of 
ovary in choripetalous species; fi laments  free, 
fl attened, or anthers sessile (rarely fi laments 
almost wanting); anthers 2-thecal. Pollen grains 
2-celled, 3-colpate or 3-colporate, trilobate, 
smooth. Floral nectaries present and nectar secre-
tion from between the hypanthium and the gynoe-
cium, creating 4–5 nectariferous channels. 
Gynoecium of 2(3) carpels; style short and thick, 
with massive glabrous stigma; ovary 2(3)-locular, 
inferior, adnate to the fl oral tube only by means of 
fi ve narrow longitudinal septa formed by continu-
ation of fi laments, which leave intervening lacu-
nae or pits in which nectar is produced. Ovules 
numerous on bifi d axile placenta, pendulous. 
Endosperm only with micropylar haustorium. 
Fruits berries with the perianth persisting at the 
tip. Seeds minute, exotestal cells cuboid, inner 
walls lignifi ed; endosperm copious, starchy; n = 
54–56. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1. pentaphragmataceae.
2  Vessels with simple perforations. Annual herbs. 
Stem somewhat succulent and with large, verti-
cal, cortical air canals, and pericyclic scleren-
chyma. Leaves alternate, entire, papillose; the 
mesophyll containing calcium oxalate crystals. 
Stomata tetracytic. Flowers in dense terminal 
spikes, in the axils of small bracts and bibrac-
teolate, bisexual, actinomorphic, 5-merous. 
Sepals fi ve, with imbricate lobes, persistent. 
Corolla small, caducous, urceolate-campanulate, 
with fi ve imbricate lobes. Stamens as many as 
and alternate with petals, attached to the base of 
corolla tube; fi laments short, free; anthers dorsi-
fi xed, introrse. Pollen grains 3-celled, 3-colporate 
to colporoidate, reticulate. Nectary disc wanting. 
Gynoecium of two carpels; stigma sessile or on 
very short style, capitate; ovary 2-locular, inferior 
or semi-inferior. Ovules numerous on the large, 
spongy, pendulous placenta. Endosperm with ter-