Linnaea

Christenhusz, Maarten J. M., 2013, Twins are not alone: a recircumscription of Linnaea (Caprifoliaceae), Phytotaxa 125 (1), pp. 25-32 : 27

Linnaea [Gronov.] L.

Gronovius in Linnaeus (1737: 188); Linnaeus (1753: 631). Type: Linnaea borealis [Gronov.] L. Synonyms: Abelia Brown (1818: 376) , Diabelia Landrein (2010b: 35) , Dipelta Maximowicz (1878: 50) , Kolkwitzia

Graebner in Diels (1901: 593), Linneusia Rafinesque (1830: 239) , nom. illeg. superfl., Obolaria Kuntze (1891: 275) ,

nom. illeg. hom. non Linnaeus (1753), Vesalea Martens & Galeotti (1843: 242)

Erect or creeping shrubs. Leaves opposite or whorled, simple, without stipules, petiolate. Axillary buds exposed. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, simple or compound reduced thyrses, flowers single or paired. Bracts leaf-like or scale-like, located at bases of flowers, forming an epicalyx around the flowers. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic. Perianth pentamerous. Calyx lobes 5, nearly free. Corolla funnelform or bilabiate with 5 spreading lobes that are imbricate in bud. Nectaries consisting of glandular hairs inside corolla tube. Stamens four, alternating the corolla lobes, filaments adnate with the lower ⅓–½ corolla tube. Ovary inferior, 3–4-loculed with axile placentation, usually one or two locules with a single fertile ovule the other two with numerous sterile ovules. Styles long, terminated by white, capitate stigmas. Fruit an achene crowned with persistent or rarely deciduous sepals, with one or two seeds.