Herbs, annuals, weak, glabrous with persistent cotyledon. Leaves in a rosette at the
apex of short stem (elongated hypocotyle), dentate; venation dichotomous, open; nodes
unilacunar; vessels simply perforate. Flowers solitary in upper leaf-axils, bisexual,
actinomorphic, shortly pedicellate. Sepals 2(-3), valvate, membranous, persistent. Petals
absent. Stamens (1-)2(-3), free, alternate with sepals, rarely reduced to one and the other
sepaloid; anthers small, as long as wide, 2-locular, dehiscing longitudinally. Carpels 1 - 3, superior, free, linear-oblong, 1-locular, 1-ovuled; style very short; stigma sessile. Fruit
a cluster of indehiscent prickly achenes. Seeds with copious endosperm; embryo linear-oblong.
Temperate N. W. & E. Himalayas to W. & N. W. China; monotypic family.
Literature. BHATTACHARYYA, U. C. (1964) Circaeaster agrestris Maxim. (Circaeasteraceae)- a new record from North Garhwal Himalaya. Bull. Bot. Surv. India 6: 297 -298., ff. 1 - 7. DIELS, L. (1932) Circacaster cine hochgradig reduzierte Ranunculaceae. Bull. Bot. Centrbl. 49: 55 - 60. FOSTER, A. S. (1963) The morphology and relationships of Circaeaster. J. Arn. Arb. 44: 299 - 321, tt. 1 - 6
Temperate N. W. & E. Himalayas to W. & N. W. China; monotypic family.
Literature. BHATTACHARYYA, U. C. (1964) Circaeaster agrestris Maxim. (Circaeasteraceae)- a new record from North Garhwal Himalaya. Bull. Bot. Surv. India 6: 297 -298., ff. 1 - 7. DIELS, L. (1932) Circacaster cine hochgradig reduzierte Ranunculaceae. Bull. Bot. Centrbl. 49: 55 - 60. FOSTER, A. S. (1963) The morphology and relationships of Circaeaster. J. Arn. Arb. 44: 299 - 321, tt. 1 - 6
