The World Flora Online

SELECTED REFERENCES Olson, M. E. 2002. Intergeneric relationships within the Caricaceae-Moringaceae clade (Brassicales), and potential morphological synapomorphies of the clade and its families. Int. J. Pl. Sci. 163: 51-65. Olson, M. E. 2002b. Combining data from DNA sequences and morphology for a phylogeny of Moringaceae. Syst. Bot. 27: 55-73. Olson, M. E. 2003. Developmental origins of floral bilateral symmetry in Moringaceae. Amer. J. Bot. 90: 49-71. Verdcourt, B. 1985. A synopsis of the Moringaceae. Kew Bull. 40: 1--23.

Trees or shrubs; glabrous or puberulent; roots tuberous [massive, fibrous, or shrubs canelike with underground tubers], (producing glucosinolates and isothiocyanates, especially in roots and leaves; strongly odoriferous). Stems erect to pendent; unbranched [branched]. Leaves (drought-deciduous) alternate, (imparipinnate), compound; stipules present (glandular); petiole present; leaflets opposite, blade margins entire. Inflorescences axillary, paniculate, with (2-)3-4(-5) orders of branching; bracts (and bracteoles) usually present (glandular). Pedicels present. Flowers strongly zygomorphic [nearly actinomorphic]; perianth and androecium perigynous; sepals 5, distinct; petals 5 (bannerlike petal borne abaxially), distinct; stamens 5, opposite petals (inserted on rim of hypanthium); staminodes [3-]5, similar to filaments, alternate with stamens; anthers monothecal, bisporangiate; ovary 3-carpellate, 1-locular, (on gynophore); placentation probably marginal (sometimes interpreted as medial); ovules anatropous; style 1 (hollow, with a gaping stigmatic aperture). Fruits capsular, valvate, laxly dehiscent, fibrous. Seeds 10-35, brown, globular, winged or not; cotyledons oily.

Arbres'à écorce lisse avec poches à gomme et à mucilage.'Feuilles'alternes, composées imparipennées, à folioles opposées; stipules représentées par des glandes à la base des pétioles et des folioles.'Inflorescences'en panicules axillaires.'Fleurs'moyennes, ☿ et zygomorphes, 5-mères, perigynes, les pièces du périanthe et les étamines étant insérées sur les bords d'un réceptacle cupulaire tapissé intérieurement d'un disque; sépales ± inégaux, étalés ou ± réfractés à l'anthèse, caducs; pétales inégaux, l'antérieur large et dressé; les autres plus étroits et étalés-réfractés; étamines 10, en 2 verticilles dont l'extérieur stérile et l'intérieur pourvu d'anthères 1-loculaires; ovaire stipité, 1-loculaire et à nombreux ovules en placentation pariétale; style terminal, cylindrique et tronqué au sommet.'Fruits': capsules siliquiformes, allongées, à 3-5 angles, coriaces, déhiscentes en 3 valves portant chacune une rangée de graines sur la ligne médiane.'Graines grandes, ailées ou non, exalbuminées et à embryon droit.\n\t\t\tPetite famille monogénérique, avec 10 espèces paléotropicales et pour la plupart xérophytiques.

Trees with gummy bark Seeds 3-winged or not; embryo without endosperm, straight Stamens inserted on the margin of the disk, declinate, 5 perfect, alternating with the same number of antherless stamens or reduced to setae; filaments free; anthers dorsifixed, 1-celled, opening lengthwise by a slit Disk lining the calyx-tube, with a short free margin Capsule long, beaked, 3–6-angled, torulose, 1-celled, 3-valved Ovary stipitate, terete, villous, curved, 1-celled, with 3 parietal placentas; style terminal, slender, tubular, truncate at the apex; ovules numerous, in 2 series on each placenta Flowers in axillary panicles, white or red, hermaphrodite, zygomorphic Leaves deciduous, alternate, 2–3 times pinnate, pinnae opposite; stipules none, or represented by stipitate glands at the base of the petioles and pinnae Petals 5, the two upper smaller, the lateral ones ascending, the anticous larger Calyx-tube short, with 5 unequal spreading or reflexed lobes, the fifth posticous, imbricate Seeds 3-winged or not; embryo without endosperm, straight Stamens inserted on the margin of the disk, declinate, 5 perfect, alternating with the same number of antherless stamens or reduced to setae; filaments free; anthers dorsifixed, 1-celled, opening lengthwise by a slit Disk lining the calyx-tube, with a short free margin Capsule long, beaked, 3–6-angled, torulose, 1-celled, 3-valved Ovary stipitate, terete, villous, curved, 1-celled, with 3 parietal placentas; style terminal, slender, tubular, truncate at the apex; ovules numerous, in 2 series on each placenta Flowers in axillary panicles, white or red, hermaphrodite, zygomorphic Leaves deciduous, alternate, 2–3 times pinnate, pinnae opposite; stipules none, or represented by stipitate glands at the base of the petioles and pinnae Petals 5, the two upper smaller, the lateral ones ascending, the anticous larger Calyx-tube short, with 5 unequal spreading or reflexed lobes, the fifth posticous, imbricate

Trees, shrubs, or herbs, deciduous, massive to slender, tuberous when young and sometimes as adults; bark and pith with gum canals. Leaves alternate, 1-3(or 4)-imparipinnate, glabrous to puberulent; leaflets opposite, entire, sometimes caducous; stipules absent but stalked glands present at base of petiole and leaflets. Flowers borne in axillary panicles, bisexual, white to yellow or red, actinomorphic to zygomorphic, with or without hypanthium. Sepals 5, often reflexed at anthesis. Petals 5, equal or unequal, often reflexed. Stamens in 2 series, 5 perfect and 5 reduced to staminodes; filaments free. Pistil 1; ovary superior, borne on short gynophore, 1-loculed; placentas 3, parietal; ovules numerous; style 1; stigma minute. Fruit a capsule, 3-12-ribbed, sometimes with elongated beak; valves 3, dehiscent. Seeds numerous, 3-winged or wingless, without endosperm.

Capsule elongate, beaked, 3-valved, 3-6-angled, sometimes torulose Ovary superior, stipitate, cylindrical, 1-locular of 3 carpels and with 3 parietal placentas; style terminal, slender, tubular with open canal, truncate at the apex and without stigmatic lobes; ovules numerous in 2 series on each placenta, pendulous, anatropous Stamens inserted on the margin of the disk or epipetalous, declinate, 5 perfect ones alternating with 3-5 staminodes or setae; filaments free or partly united; anthers dorsifixed, 1-thecous, opening lengthwise by a slit, sometimes cohering; pollen grains trizonocolporate, with smooth exine Petals 5, equal or unequal, imbricate Trees, sometimes with swollen trunks, shrubs or small woody subshrubs with tuberous rootstocks (often smelling and tasting of horseradish); wood often brittle and bark sometimes resinous or gummy Seeds unwinged or with 3 conspicuous wings, the wings hardened or membranous; embryo straight; endosperm absent Leaves petiolate, alternate, deciduous or rachis of pinnae sometimes persistent, 1-3-imparipinnate; leaflets mainly opposite, entire; stipules and stipels absent or minute but sometimes with stipitate glands at the base of the petioles and pinnae Flowers regular in 3 species and nearly so in two others but somewhat irregular in the rest, hermaphrodite, white, red or yellow, often numerous in axillary panicles, the floral parts borne on a cup-like or in one species tubular receptacle Sepals 5, free above the receptacle, equal or unequal, imbricate in bud, the fifth posticous Ovary superior, stipitate, cylindrical, 1-locular of 3 carpels and with 3 parietal placentas; style terminal, slender, tubular with open canal, truncate at the apex and without stigmatic lobes; ovules numerous in 2 series on each placenta, pendulous, anatropous Stamens inserted on the margin of the disk or epipetalous, declinate, 5 perfect ones alternating with 3-5 staminodes or setae; filaments free or partly united; anthers dorsifixed, 1-thecous, opening lengthwise by a slit, sometimes cohering; pollen grains trizonocolporate, with smooth exine Petals 5, equal or unequal, imbricate Trees, sometimes with swollen trunks, shrubs or small woody subshrubs with tuberous rootstocks (often smelling and tasting of horseradish); wood often brittle and bark sometimes resinous or gummy Seeds unwinged or with 3 conspicuous wings, the wings hardened or membranous; embryo straight; endosperm absent Leaves petiolate, alternate, deciduous or rachis of pinnae sometimes persistent, 1-3-imparipinnate; leaflets mainly opposite, entire; stipules and stipels absent or minute but sometimes with stipitate glands at the base of the petioles and pinnae Flowers regular in 3 species and nearly so in two others but somewhat irregular in the rest, hermaphrodite, white, red or yellow, often numerous in axillary panicles, the floral parts borne on a cup-like or in one species tubular receptacle Sepals 5, free above the receptacle, equal or unequal, imbricate in bud, the fifth posticous