Leaves usually alternate, occasionally opposite, simple, entire or sometimes slightly crenate; stipules intrapetiolar, rarely extrapetiolar, persistent, deciduous or caducous
Flowers regular, bisexual, rarely unisexual, small, solitary or fascicled or inflorescence a panicle of cymes; bracts present or absent
Calyx with (4)5(6) sepals, free or ± connate, persistent
Petals as many as sepals, free, imbricate, deciduous, usually with a transverse, bifid scale at base of limb, rarely wide, but if so, then texture of claw different from that of limb
Stamens twice as many as petals; filaments united at base
Ovary superior, usually 2- or 3-locular with 1 or 2 axile, pendulous ovules in each locule, sometimes all but one locule aborted; styles 3-5, free or more or less connate; stigmas oblique, depressed-capitate or clavate
Fruit a drupe
Nomenclature:
Erythroxylaceae
Browne: 278 (1756)
Sonder: 233 (1860)
Engler: 109 (1902)
Robson: 102 (1963)
Distribution & Notes:
Global: Genera 4, species ± 260, tropical, especially American
Southern Africa: Genera 2, species 6
References:
BROWNE, P. 1756. Erythroxylum. The civil and natural history of Jamaica in three parts, edn 1. Published by the author, London
ENGLER, A. 1902. Erythroxylaceae. Botanische Jahrbücher 32
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Welcome to Biodiversity Advisor 2.0!
Biodiversity Advisor, developed by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and its Data Partners, is a system that will provide integrated biodiversity information to a wide range of users who will have access to geospatial data, plant and animal species distribution data, ecosystem-level data, literature, images and metadata.
The integrated information comes from our much-loved Botanical Database of Southern Africa (BODATSA) also known as Plants of Southern Africa (POSA), Zoological Database of Southern Africa (ZODATSA), Biodiversity Geographic Information System (BGIS), SANBI's institutional repository (Opus) and others.
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