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
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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.
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