Muntingiaceae

Abstract

Small to medium-sized trees or shrubs; indumentum of stellate, long unbranched, and glandular hairs, especially on young growth; leaves alternate, petiolate, distichous on plagiotropic branches, blades asymmetrically cordate at base, palminerved, margin serrate; stipule-like appendages dimorphic at least on plagiotropic branches, filiform or foliaceous and peltate or unilaterally reduced (not known in Neotessmannia); flowers in supra-axillary positions, solitary or in few-flowered clusters, pedicellate, actinomorphic, relatively large, usually hermaphrodite; sepals (4)5(--7), in bud valvate with free tips, basally more or less fused, forming a saucer-to cup-like tube, caducous or persistent; petals (4)5(--7), crumpled in bud, imbricate, distinct, longer than the calyx, thin, the outer margin irregular, caducous; stamens numerous, filaments filiform, anthers dithecal, fixed at or near the base, sometimes versatile, dehiscent by longitudinal slits, sometimes only near the apex; ovary superior to inferior, syncarpous, 5- to multilocular, sometimes unilocular in the upper part, placentae (not known in Neotessmannia) lobed, pendulous, style thick, more or less short or almost lacking, stigma thick, lobed-sulcate to decurrent; ovules very numerous, anatropous; fruit indehiscent, baccate, sometimes juicy and sweet, containing numerous small seeds.