Nyctaginaceae, the four o'clock family, has about 33 genera and 290 species of flowering plants. It grows in tropical and subtropical regions, with a few representatives in temperate regions. It includes plants like the Bougainvillea and the four o'clock. Most of the species are vines.
The family has a unique fruit type, called an "anthocarp". Many genera have extremely large (>100 µm) pollen grains.
A curious aspect of M. jalapa, the four o'clock, is that flowers with different colours grow simultaneously on the same plant. view more...