Description:

• Trees or shrubs, armed or unarmed, monoecious or dioecious, occasionally polygamous
• Leaves alternate, rarely opposite or whorled, simple, entire or toothed, teeth often glandular; stipules present or 0
• Inflorescence axillary or terminal, racemose, corymbose or paniculate, or flowers fasciculate or solitary
• Flowers regular, bisexual or unisexual
• Sepals 3-6 or more, free or connate below into a calyx tube, contorted or imbricate, rarely valvate, often persistent or accrescent
• Petals as many as sepals, or more, or 0, usually small and inconspicuous, free, contorted or imbricate, with or without a scale on inner face
• Disc extrastaminal or with free glands between stamens or of staminode-like scales inserted at base of petals, often adnate to receptacle
• Stamens 5-many, free or rarely connate, sometimes alternating with staminodes; anthers 2-thecous, dehiscing by longitudinal slits, rarely by apical pores
• Ovary superior or more rarely semi-inferior, 1-locular with 1-many ovules on 2-8 parietal placentas, rarely ovules axile; styles 1-10, free or connate
• Fruit a capsule or berry, 1-many-seeded
• Seeds usually small, sometimes arillate; testa woody, leathery or chartaceous; embryo straight; cotyledons usually broad; endosperm fleshy, copious, rarely thin or 0

Nomenclature:

• Flacourtiaceae
  • Harvey: 65 (1860) under Bixaceae, Endl.
  • Wild: 261 (1960)
  • Killick: 53 (1976)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Genera 89, species ± 1250, mainly tropical and subtropical, Old and New World
• Southern Africa: Genera 13, species 25

References:

• HARVEY, W.H. 1860. Bixaceae. Flora capensis 1
• KILLICK, D.J.B. 1976. Flacourtiaceae. Flora of southern Africa 22
• WILD, H. 1960. Flacourtiaceae (including Samydaceae). Flora zambesiaca 1

Resources:

• Key to Flacourtiaceae genera

• Flacourtiaceae genera: