Botanical Family · Dioscoreales

Burmanniaceae

Burmannia Family

2 speciesOrder Dioscoreales2+ well-known plants

The Burmanniaceae family (Burmannia Family) is a botanical family placed in the order Dioscoreales. In the SASYA catalogue it spans 2 species. Its members are predominantly herbs. Familiar examples include Indian Bluethread and Stalked-Flower Bluethread.

Browse all 2 species ↓

Representative specimen · Burmanniaceae

Key pattern

Small, often leafless herbs that draw nutrients from underground fungal partners rather than photosynthesising much themselves; delicate, often winged, tubular flowers with three petals rise on slender translucent stems from the forest floor.

Many species are mycoheterotrophic, tapping into a network of soil fungi for sugars instead of making their own through photosynthesis — a lifestyle that lets them thrive in deep, dark forest shade where green plants cannot.

Identify the species

Which Burmanniaceae species is this?

Answer what you can see and narrow it down to a single Burmanniaceae species.

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Key TraitWhat single feature best distinguishes it?

Small sky-blue flowers on a leafless winged stem

Tiny stalked flowers, saprophytic herb

Family identification method

To check whether a plant belongs to Burmanniaceae, compare the leaf arrangement, leaf type, flower symmetry, fruit type, and one distinctive marker together. A single feature can mislead; the family pattern is the combination.

Learn the full family-identification method

Typical flower & fruit

Flower symmetryVariable
InflorescenceVariable
FruitBerry

Typical of the family — flowering plants only; species can vary.

Notable members

Indian BluethreadBurmannia coelestisStalked-Flower BluethreadBurmannia pusilla

Families that can look similar

Dioscoreaceae

Compare against Dioscoreaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.

Compare Dioscoreaceae

Taccaceae

Compare against Taccaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.

Compare Taccaceae

Rubiaceae

Compare against Rubiaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.

Compare Rubiaceae

Solanaceae

Compare against Solanaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.

Compare Solanaceae

All 2 species in BURMANNIACEAE

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