Description:

• Shrubs, shrublets or small trees, often ericoid, rarely perennial herbs, very rarely annuals; often containing toxic substances (Peterson 1978); stems and branches with tough, cortical, often shining, fibres
• Leaves alternate or opposite, sessile or shortly petiolate, simple, entire, small, needle-like, 1-nerved, to flat, pinnately nerved, herbaceous or coriaceous, sometimes glandular-punctate; stipules 0
• Inflorescences terminal or axillary, sessile or pedunculate, racemose (spikes, fascicles, umbels or heads), flowers rarely solitary, often with deciduous or persistent bracts
• Flowers bisexual, regular or rarely slightly irregular, often sweetly scented at night, entomophilous except Passerina which is anemophilous
• Calyx (hypanthium, perianth tube or receptacle) tubular or funnel-shaped, sometimes articulated above ovary, usually coloured, often petal-like; lobes (3)4 or 5(6), usually imbricate, equal or often with 2 interior ones slightly smaller
• Petals (petaloid appendages or scales) generally arising in throat of calyx tube, as many or twice as many as calyx lobes, well developed, entire or divided, often reduced to small fleshy glands or 0
• Stamens as many or twice as many as calyx lobes (rarely reduced to 2 or 1), in 1 or 2 whorls, upper whorl antisepalous; anthers with short filaments or sessile, 2-thecous, usually introrse, rarely extrorse or horseshoe-like, opening lengthwise by slits; pollen globose, usually polyforate and pollen wall with 'croton-pattern'
• Ovary superior, 1- or 2-locular, sessile or shortly stipitate; ovule 1 in each locule, usually pendulous, anatropous; style filiform, sometimes very short, terminal or lateral; stigma usually capitate, sometimes papillate
• Disc hypogynous, membranous or fleshy, annular, cupular or scale-like, sometimes minute or 0
• Fruit an achene, nut, drupe or loculicidal capsule, sometimes fleshy, usually enclosed in base of persistent calyx tube
• Seed usually with a caruncle-like appendage, outer coat thin or crustaceous, usually black, with or without endosperm; embryo straight; cotyledons flat or thickened, narrow or broad

Nomenclature:

• Thymelaeaceae
  • Wright: 1 (1915)
  • Domke: 1 (1934)
  • Peterson: 623 (1958)
  • Peterson: 207 (1959a)
  • Peterson: 465 (1959b)
  • Friedrich-Holzhammer: 1 (1968)
  • Peterson: 1 (1978)
  • Bond & Goldblatt: 429 (1984)
  • Hilliard & Burtt: 182 (1987)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Genera ± 50, species ± 600, cosmopolitan, especially Africa and Australia
• Southern Africa: Genera 8, species 192

References:

• BOND, P. & GOLDBLATT, P. 1984. Thymelaeaceae. Plants of the Cape Flora. Journal of South African Botany, Supplementary vol. 13
• DOMKE, W. 1934. Untersuchungen über die systematische und geographische Gliederung der Thymelaeaceen. Bibliotheca Botanica 27,3
• FRIEDRICH-HOLZHAMMER, M. 1968. Thymelaeaceae. Prodromus einer Flora von Südwestafrika 86
• HILLIARD, O.M. & BURTT, B.L. 1987. Thymelaeaceae. The botany of southern Natal Drakensberg. Annals of Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens, Vol. 15
• PETERSON, B. 1958. Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Flora von Süd-Rhodesia X. Botaniska Notiser 111
• PETERSON, B. 1959a. Notes sur les Thyméléacées de Mozambique. Boletim da Sociedade Broteriana 33,2
• PETERSON, B. 1959b. Some interesting species of Gnidia. Botaniska Notiser 112
• PETERSON, B. 1978. Flora of tropical East Africa. Thymelaeaceae
• WRIGHT, C.H. 1915. Thymelaeaceae. Flora capensis 5,2

Resources:

• Key to Thymelaeaceae genera

• Thymelaeaceae genera: