Ochnaceae

Abstract

Trees, shrubs or shrublets, generally evergreen, rarely herbs, mostly glabrous. Leaves alternate, generally simple, often coriaceous, entire, serrate, ciliate or with persistent or caducous teeth, secondary veins often numerous and densely parallel; stipules distinct or more rarely basally intrapetiolarly connate, persistent or caducous, entire or laciniate. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, cymose or racemose, more rarely flowers solitary in leaf axils. Flowers on articulated pedicels, generally bisexual, actinomorphic or zygomorphic; sepals generally 5, mostly distinct, imbricate or nearly valvate, caducous or persistent, sometimes accrescent, enveloping the mature bud or not; petals generally 5, mostly distinct, imbricate, contort (cochlear or quincuncial), caducous; stamens 5-10-8, rarely 1, with sometimes persistent filaments, generally distinct, anthers basifixed, bithecate, tetrasporangiate, dehiscing latrorsely with longitudinal slits or with one or two apical or subapical pores; staminodes present or absent, distinct or ± connate, petaloid or not, sometimes completely enveloping stamens and gynoecium; nectary absent; ovary superior, (2)3(4) or 5(-15)-carpellate, syncarpous at least at the basal part of the ovary, and either entire with one apical style or deeply and apparently completely divided into five to several uniovulate lobes with one gynobasic style; style distinct from or continuous with the ovary apex; androgynophore and gynophore usually present, often inconspicuous; placentas (2)3(4) or 5(-15) basal, axile or parietal, stigmas distinct or connate. Fruit generally a septicidal capsule, rarely a nut or drupe, or separating into 2 to several blackish drupelets on an accrescent reddish receptacle. Seeds exarillate, albuminous or exalbuminous, winged or not; embryo straight or curved.