The World Flora Online

Arbres'ou arbustes.'Feuilles'sans stipules ou à stipules rudimentaires, alternes ou spiralées, entières.'Inflorescences'variées.'Fleurs'☿ , actinomorphes ou zygomorphes; sépales 4-6, rarement 2-3; pétales 4-8, rarement absents; étamines nombreuses, fréquemment soudées en un androphore asymétrique et appendiculé; une partie des étamines sont souvent transformées en staminodes; disque présent; ovaire infère, 2- à pluriloculaire, à 1-∞ ovules par loge; style généralement simple; stigmate simple ou lobé.'Fruits'charnus ou coriaces, rarement ailés.'Graines 1-∞.\n\t\t\tFamille tropicale, principlement américaine, dont les limites ont été maintes fois contestées. Melchior (in Engler's Syllabus Pflanzenfam., ed. 12, 2 : 353-355, fig. 152, 1964), qui lui-même suit Pichon (Not. System., 12 : 192-197, 1946), admet 24 genres et quelque 450 espèces. En Afrique : 5 genres et 15 espèces. Pour la Flore : 2 genres et 4 espèces.

Flowers usually rather large and showy, actinomorphic or zygomorphic, hermaphrodite Calyx 4–6-lobed, lobes valvate or imbricate Trees or shrubs; leaves simple, alternate, not gland-dotted but sometimes with large glands on the margin; stipules absent Ovary inferior or semi-inferior, 2- or more-celled; style mostly simple; ovules 1 to many on axile placentas, sometimes pendulous from near the apex of the cells Fruit woody, fibrous or fleshy, indehiscent or operculate at the apex Petals 4–6, free or united into a campanulate tube and then with many ribs Stamens numerous, in several series, sometimes the outer ones modified into staminodes and resembling a corona; filaments mostly united; anthers basifixed or rarely adnate, opening at the side by slits; staminal disk sometimes lobed Seeds without endosperm; embryo divided or entire Calyx 4–6-lobed, lobes valvate or imbricate Trees or shrubs; leaves simple, alternate, not gland-dotted but sometimes with large glands on the margin; stipules absent Ovary inferior or semi-inferior, 2- or more-celled; style mostly simple; ovules 1 to many on axile placentas, sometimes pendulous from near the apex of the cells Fruit woody, fibrous or fleshy, indehiscent or operculate at the apex Petals 4–6, free or united into a campanulate tube and then with many ribs Stamens numerous, in several series, sometimes the outer ones modified into staminodes and resembling a corona; filaments mostly united; anthers basifixed or rarely adnate, opening at the side by slits; staminal disk sometimes lobed Seeds without endosperm; embryo divided or entire

Trees or shrubs, evergreen. Leaves alternate, usually crowded toward apices of branchlets, shortly petiolate; stipules usually absent; leaf blade simple. Flowers showy, borne in short, bracteate racemes or spikes, actinomorphic or zygomorphic, bisexual. Calyx with a campanulate tube adnate to ovary; lobes 4-6, thick. Petals 4-6, free, rarely absent. Stamens many, united at base into several whorls, often several sterile, either monadelphous and equally arranged around disk, or diadelphous in 2 unequal bundles, outermost staminodial; anthers basifixed, 2-celled, opening by longitudinal slits. Disk sometimes lobed. Ovary inferior or semi-inferior, 2-6-loculed; ovules 1 to many per locule; placentation axile; style terminal, simple; stigma capitate. Fruit an indehiscent berry or operculate capsule, often crowned by persistent calyx lobes. Seed[s] 1 [to many]; endosperm absent.

Calyx 2–6-lobed or circumscissile, if the lobes free then valvate or slightly imbricate Petals 4–6 or lacking, free or connate at the base Stamens numerous, in several rows, free or mostly basally united into a short tube, the inner filaments shorter and often without anthers; anthers basifixed or rarely adnate, opening by slits Ovary inferior or half-inferior, 1–6(–many)-locular; ovules 1–many in each locule, axile or pendulous from near the apex; style simple or shortly branched at the apex Fruit woody, fibrous or fleshy, indehiscent or operculate Seeds without or with thin endosperm; embryo straight or curved, sometimes solid and undifferentiated, but in many genera with normal cotyledons Trees or shrubs Leaves simple, alternate, exstipulate or stipules small Flowers usually rather large and showy, regular or irregular, hermaphrodite Petals 4–6 or lacking, free or connate at the base Stamens numerous, in several rows, free or mostly basally united into a short tube, the inner filaments shorter and often without anthers; anthers basifixed or rarely adnate, opening by slits Ovary inferior or half-inferior, 1–6(–many)-locular; ovules 1–many in each locule, axile or pendulous from near the apex; style simple or shortly branched at the apex Fruit woody, fibrous or fleshy, indehiscent or operculate Seeds without or with thin endosperm; embryo straight or curved, sometimes solid and undifferentiated, but in many genera with normal cotyledons Trees or shrubs Leaves simple, alternate, exstipulate or stipules small Flowers usually rather large and showy, regular or irregular, hermaphrodite