Nyctaginaceae
Annual or perennial trees, shrubs, herbs or climbers. Leaves alternate, opposite or whorled, simple, lacking stipules. Inflorescence a cyme, umbel, or thyrse, or flowers whorled or closely clustered; flowers bracteate, bisexual or unisexual; perianth regular, with 5–10 segments united in a single whorl, the upper part entire or lobed and deciduous, the lower part tubular, persistent and hardened in fruit (commonly called the anthocarp); stamens 1–many, free or united near base; ovary superior (but often appearing inferior due to the adnate anthocarp), of 1 carpel, containing a single ovule; style and stigma undivided. Fruit (anthocarp) indehiscent, pericarp thin and membranous, but enclosed within the thickened perianth base.
About 300 species in 30 genera world-wide, mainly in tropical parts; 4 genera (1 naturalized) with 14 species in Australia.
The woody, spinescent, tropical American climber, Bouganvillea spectabilis Willd., has showy purplish bracts in whorls of 3 subtending the small yellowish flowers and is commonly grown as an ornamental and may persist in old gardens, but it has not been reported as becoming naturalised in Australia.
Walsh, N.G. (1996). Nyctaginaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 3, Dicotyledons Winteraceae to Myrtaceae, pp. 102–104. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Spinning
