Description:

• Evergreen, much-branched woody shrubs or undershrubs, branched from a single stem and with a taproot, or branched from a lignotuber at ground level; branchlets longitudinally ridged, tomentose
• Leaves opposite-decussate, ericoid or flat, entire, at least ± revolute, linear to lanceolate or obcuneate, acuminate, dull or greyish green, petiolate to nearly sessile; stipules 0
• Inflorescences axillary, basically dichasial but congested, subtended by 2 or more bracts, with 2-20 flowers
• Flowers bisexual, regular, very small
• Tepals 4, small, distinct, calyx-like, externally densely white-hairy, internally glabrous, shiny, suffused pink to dark red, valvate, adnate to ovary
• Stamens 8, free, in 2 whorls of 4 each, 4 opposite and attached to tepals at base; filaments linear-lanceolate, incurved; anthers basifixed, with 2 adaxial functional thecae and a pair of abaxial vestigial thecae each; thecae dehiscent by means of lateral slits
• Disc epigynous, papillate to shortly hairy
• Ovary inferior, 2-carpellate, 1-locular or incompletely 2-locular; ovule solitary in each locule, pendent, anatropous, unitegmic, tenuinucellar, with a long micropyle; placenta free or fused to wall; style erect, straight, unbranched, smooth, with 2 short apical lobes, but appearing simple
• Fruit indehiscent, drupaceous, often reddish, with a fleshy exocarp and a sclerenchymatous endocarp, each fruit united with adjacent fruits in an inflorescence, forming a syncarp
• Seed 1, ovoid; testa thin; endosperm abundant, oily

Nomenclature:

• Grubbiaceae
  • Endlicher: 327 (1837)
  • Candolle: 617 (1857)
  • Bentham: 231 (1880), under Santalaceae
  • Hieronymus: 228 (1889)
  • Hill: 135 (1915)
  • Harms: 46 (1935) as Grubbiaceae
  • Fagerlind: 315 (1947)
  • Carlquist: 115 (1977)
  • Carlquist: 117 (1978)
  • Dahlgren & Van Wyk: 25 (1988)

Distribution & Notes:

• Southern Africa: Genus 1, species 3, Western and Eastern Cape

References:

• BENTHAM, G. 1880. Santalaceae. In G. Bentham & J.D. Hooker, Genera plantarum 3. Lovell Reeve & Co., London
• CANDOLLE, A. DE. 1857. Grubbiaceae. In A. de Candolle, Prodromus 14. Masson & Sons, Paris
• CARLQUIST, S. 1977. A revision of Grubbiaceae. Journal of South African Botany 43
• CARLQUIST, S. 1978. Vegetative anatomy and systematics of Grubbiaceae. Botaniska Notiser 131
• DAHLGREN, R. & VAN WYK, A.E. 1988. Structures and relationships of families endemic or centered in southern Africa. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 25
• ENDLICHER, S.L. 1837. Genera Santalaceis affinia. Grubbiaceae. Genera plantarum secundum ordines naturales disposita. Beck, Vienna
• FAGERLIND, F. 1947. Die systematische Stellung der Familie Grubbiaceae. Svensk Botanisk Tidskrift 41
• HARMS, H. 1935. Grubbiaceae. Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien, edn 2, 16b
• HIERONYMUS, G. 1889. Santalaceae. Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien III,1
• HILL, A.W. 1915. Santalaceae. Flora capensis 5,2

Resources:

• Grubbiaceae genus: Grubbia