Description:

• Trees, shrubs or woody climbers, without tendrils, or rarely ericoid shrubs (Empleuridium), sometimes polygamous to dioecious, glabrous or with simple hairs, unarmed or with spines (modified axillary shoots), sometimes with latex in leaves and bark, evident as elastic threads (trans-1, 4-polyisoprene) on pulling parts apart; branches often angular or 4-lined, often with yellow powdery pigments present on exposed bark
• Leaves opposite, subopposite, alternate or spiral, sometimes fasciculate on short shoots (brachyblasts), simple, often leathery, entire or with crenate or denticulate to spinose margins; stipules small, mostly caducous, usually adjoining ridges on stem
• Inflorescences axillary or terminal dichasial or monochasial cymes, panicles or thyrses, sometimes with accessory branches, fasciculate or solitary, usually bracteate; pedicels often articulate
• Flowers bisexual or unisexual, regular, usually small
• Sepals 3-5(6), imbricate or rarely valvate in bud, free or connate at base, usually persistent
• Petals 3-5(6), usually free, usually longer than sepals, sometimes with ventral grooves or hollows, usually persistent
• Disc fleshy, variously shaped, often saucer-shaped, 4- or 5-lobed or entire
• Stamens (2)3-5, arising under or on margin of disc; filaments often broadened at base; free or connate to base of disc; anthers (1)2-thecous, extrorse or introrse, basi- or dorsifixed or versatile, opening by longitudinal slits; staminodes present in female flowers, shorter than stamens in male flowers
• Ovary 2-5-locular, or rarely 1-locular by abortion, superior or half-inferior (Empleuridium), partly or almost completely immersed in disc (Pseudosalacia), sessile or on short androgynophore, with 2(3-12) erect or rarely pendulous ovules per locule; style usually thick, sometimes almost obsolete; stigma 2-5-lobed, rarely lobes bifid, absent in male flowers
• Fruit capsular, loculicidally dehiscent, or with divergent, dorsally flattened, dehiscent mericarps, or follicle-like, or baccate or nut-like, or drupaceous or dry, indehiscent and winged
• Seeds with or without a fleshy or submembranous, coloured aril, or winged with funicle free from wing or united to its base or neither (usually in indehiscent fruit); with or without endosperm; embryo erect, with cotyledons flat or fleshy

Nomenclature:

• Celastraceae
  • Adamson: 564 (1950)
  • Robson: 355 (1966)
  • Robson et al.: 1 (1994)
  • Jordaan: 1 (1995)
  • Archer: 1 (1996)
  • Archer & Van Wyk: 459 (1996)
  • Archer & Van Wyk: 146 (1997)
  • Jordaan & Van Wyk: 299 (1998a)
  • Jordaan & Van Wyk: 322 (1998b)
  • Jordaan & Van Wyk: 177 (1999)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Genera 60-70; species 1000, tropical and warmer temperate regions
• Southern Africa: Genera 19, species ± 80

References:

• ADAMSON, R.S. 1950. Celastraceae Lindl. In R.S. Adamson & T.M. Salter, Flora of the Cape Peninsula. Juta & Co., Cape Town
• ARCHER, R.H. 1996. A taxonomic revision of southern African Cassinoideae (Celastraceae). Ph.D. dissertation, University of Pretoria
• ARCHER, R.H. & VAN WYK, A.E. 1996. Generic delimitation of subfamily Cassinoideae (Celastraceae) in Africa. In L.J.G. van der Maesen et al., The biodiversity of African plants. Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht
• ARCHER, R.H. & VAN WYK, A.E. 1997. A taxonomic revision of Cassine L. s.str. (Cassinoideae: Celastraceae). South African Journal of Botany 63
• JORDAAN, M. 1995. A taxonomic revision of the spiny members of subfamily Celastroideae (Celastraceae) in southern Africa. M.Sc. thesis, University of Pretoria
• JORDAAN, M. & VAN WYK, A.E. 1998a. Systematic studies in subfamily Celastroideae (Celastraceae) in southern Africa: Gloveria, a new monotypic genus. South African Journal of Botany 64
• JORDAAN, M. & VAN WYK, A.E. 1998b. Systematic studies in subfamily Celastroideae (Celastraceae) in southern Africa: the genus Putterlickia. South African Journal of Botany 64
• JORDAAN, M. & VAN WYK, A.E. 1999. Systematic studies in subfamily Celastroideae (Celastraceae) in southern Africa: reinstatement of the genus Gymnosporia. South African Journal of Botany 65
• ROBSON, N.K.B. 1966. Celastraceae. Flora zambesiaca 2
• ROBSON, N.K.B., HALLÉ, N., MATHEWS, B. & BLAKELOCK, R. 1994. Celastraceae. Flora of tropical East Africa. Celastraceae

Resources:

• Key to Celastraceae genera

• Celastraceae genera: