Metteniusaceae (incl. Dendrobangia incert. sed.)

Abstract

Shrub or more commonly small to medium-sized trees with glabrous (Oncotheca) or hairy (Metteniusa), exstipulate, alternate leaves; leaves simple, margin entire or minutely glandular-denticulate. Flowers pentamerous, borne in axillary thyrsoid inflorescences, bisexual, actinomorphic; sepals 5, imbricate, persistent; petals 5, united into sympetalous corolla, lobes imbricate or valvate, glabrous or inside with secretory trichomes; stamens 5, alternate with petals, inserted on corolla tube, filaments short, anthers are dithecate, basically tetrasporangiate becoming polysporangiate by transversal septa (Metteniusa) or dithecate and bisporangiate (Oncotheca) by reduction of the dorsal pollen-sacs, extrorse, opening by longitudinal slits, connectives prolonged or not, when prolonged forming cover on superior ovary; ovary syncarpous, 5-carpellate, 5-locular with apical-axile placentation or unilocular with parietal placentation; ovules 2 per locule, pendant, anatropous, unitegmic; stylodia 5, distinct or connate for most of their length or style simple, filiform. Fruit drupaceous, with hard endocarp, 5-locular or 1-locular, with 1(2) seeds per locule. Seed albuminous, embryo straight or curved.