The Mayacaceae in the southeastern United States

Abstract

A monotypic family of herbaceous aquatic monocotyledons distinguished by "mosslike" habit; perfect, hypogynous, regular (actinomorphic) flowers with 2 perianth whorls; 3 stamens; unilocular gynoecium with three parietal placentae; loculicidal capsular fruit; and seeds with starchy endosperm, a minute apical embryo, and a "stopper" or "embryostegium" formed from the inner integument of the ovule. Characteristic anatomical features cited by Tomlinson include the lack of hairs except in the leaf axils; the presence of longitudinal air canals in root, stem, and leaf segmented by transverse diaphragms of stellate cells; the absence of mechanical tissues, the reduced stelar tissues being sheathed in both stem and root by an endodermis (thickened in the stem) ; and the absence of secretory elements. The Mayacaceae are of somewhat uncertain taxonomic position. Even _ their familial status has been questioned (Grisebach included them in the Xyridaceae). They share various features with one or more of several families: Centrolepidaceae, Commelinaceae, Eriocaulaceae, Rapateaceae, Restionaceae, and Xyridaceae. A convincing argument for closest relationship with Commelinaceae is presented by Hamann (1961). Tomlinson concluded that "it is probable that Mayaca originated from the same stock that has produced Eriocaulaceae, Commelinaceae, and Xyridaceae."

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