The World Flora Online

Trees, erect or scandent shrubs, lianas, evergreen or deciduous; stems sometimes producing rootlets (Euonymus spp.), sometimes thorny (Maytenus spp.), rarely with buttressed trunks. Leaves simple, alternate or opposite, petiolate; leaf blade laminar, venation pinnate, secondary veins reticulate, margins entire, crenate, serrate, or dentate; stipules small and caducous, or estipulate. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, few to many flowered, cymose, thyrsoid, racemose, fasciculate, or flowers solitary, rarely paniculate. Flowers actinomorphic, bisexual or unisexual; perianth (3 or)4- or 5-merous; sepals and petals free. Disk intrastaminal, stamens on disk, or extrastaminal, annular, margins upturned, pulvinate, or cupular, conspicuous, rarely obscure (Microtropis spp.), entire, lobed, or angular. Stamens 3-5, alternate with petals; anther (1 or)2-celled, basifixed to dorsifixed, dehiscing longitudinally or obliquely, introrse, extrorse, or latrorse. Ovaries 3-5, superior to half-inferior, often partially immersed in disk, completely or incompletely 2-5-locular, placentation axile, ovules erect, axile, or pendulous, ovules (1 or)2(or 3 or more) per locule; style terminal, simple, short to absent; stigma simple or lobed. Fruit a loculicidally dehiscent capsule, schizocarp of 2-5 indehiscent mericarps, drupe, berry, or samara with a single surrounding wing, rarely an indehiscent capsule or nut with lateral style, pericarp bony, leathery, chartaceous, or fleshy, capsules smooth, angular, deeply lobed, transversely flattened and lobed to base, or connate, rarely prickly, laterally winged. Seeds 1-12, smooth or occasionally furrowed, albuminous or exalbuminous, sometimes winged, wing membranous, basal, exarillate or aril basal to completely enveloping seed, aril membranous, fleshy, rarely mucilaginous; cotyledons flat, foliaceous or thick, connate, germination epigeous. 2n = 8, 12, 14.

Leaves simple, alternate or opposite Small trees, shrubs or woody climbers without tendrils, sometimes spiny Flowers bisexual or unisexual Stipules inconspicuous or absent Petals 4–5, free Sepals 4–5, usually free Carpels 3–5 united, free from or half-embedded in the disk Stamens 3–5, alternate with petals Ovules 2–12 in each carpel Seed sometimes arillate, sometimes winged, sometimes neither Fruit a loculicidal capsule, an indehiscent fleshy or hard drupe, a berry, a 3-lobed capsule or a capsule with 3 nearly separate mericarps Small trees, shrubs or woody climbers without tendrils, sometimes spiny Flowers bisexual or unisexual Stipules inconspicuous or absent Petals 4–5, free Sepals 4–5, usually free Carpels 3–5 united, free from or half-embedded in the disk Stamens 3–5, alternate with petals Ovules 2–12 in each carpel Seed sometimes arillate, sometimes winged, sometimes neither Fruit a loculicidal capsule, an indehiscent fleshy or hard drupe, a berry, a 3-lobed capsule or a capsule with 3 nearly separate mericarps

Fls perfect or less often unisexual, regular, 4–5-merous, mostly hypogynous, commonly rather small and not very showy; pet distinct, mostly imbricate; stamens alternate with the pet, seated outside or upon a nectary-disk; ovary superior but sometimes ± embedded in the disk, 2–5- locular, with 2–several axile, apotropous, mostly erect or ascending ovules per locule; style generally short, sometimes wanting; stigma capitate or lobed; fr in ours a loculicidal capsule; seeds commonly covered by a well developed aril; embryo with a short radicle and 2 large, flat cotyledons, embedded in the copious, oily endosperm; woody plants with simple lvs and minute or no stipules. 50/800, cosmop.

Arbres'ou arbustes dressés, parfois grimpants, inermes ou épineux; monoïques ou dioïques; feuilles, inflorescences, parfois ramilles et fruits montrant à la rupture chez quelques espèces, même à l'état sec, des fils de latex reliant les fragments.'Feuilles'simples, pétiolées à subsessiles, alternes ou opposées, rarement verticillées ou absentes; stipules petites, ± rapidement caduques.'Inflorescences'axillaires, rarement terminales, rarement épiphylles, en cymes, plus rarement en racèmes ou panicules, parfois fleurs solitaires ou fasciculées.'Fleurs'généralement petites, verdâtres, blanchâtres ou rosâtres, ☿ ou ♂♀ par avortement; sépales (0)4-5, imbriqués, libres ou soudés presque jusqu'au sommet; pétales 4-5, libres ou soudés à la base; disque charnu ou membraneux, plat, patelliforme ou cupuliforme, parfois lobé, ou nul; étamines 4-5 (6, 8-10), alternipétales, insérées sur le disque ou au-dessous du disque, parfois staminodiales ou nulles dans les fleurs ♀; anthères à déhiscence longitudinale ou subapicale, introrses; ovaire 2-5-loculaire, très rarement 1-loculaire par avortement, libre ou ± enfoncé dans le disque; style généralement court; stigmate capité ou 2-3-lobé ou pelté; ovules généralement 2 par loge, rarement 1 ou 3 ou ∞, dressés, rarement pendants.'Fruits': capsules loculicides, 1-5-loculaires, drupes, baies, samares ou fruits secs indéhiscents.'Graines dressées ou pendantes, à arille, parfois aliforme, rarement sans arille, albuminées, rarement exalbuminées; embryon axillaire, à cotylédons plats; radicule droite.\n\t\t\tFamille comprenant ± 800 espèces réparties dans les 2 hémisphères sauf dans les régions arctiques; au Congo belge, 5 genres, 19 espèces et 3 variétés.

Seeds with a fleshy or submembranous brightly coloured aril, or winged with the funicle free from the wing or united to its base, or neither arillate nor winged (usually in indehiscent fruits), with or without endosperm; embryo erect, with cotyledons flat or fleshy, rarely united Fruit capsular, loculicidal, or of divergent ± dorsally flattened dehiscent mericarps or baccate or drupaceous or dry, indehiscent and sometimes winged Trees, shrubs, shrublets or woody climbers, without tendrils, glabrous or with simple hairs, unarmed or with axillary shoots terminating in a spine, sometimes with rubber-like latex (gutta) in various parts appearing as elastic threads when a leaf is broken Leaves simple, alternate or spiral to subopposite or opposite, sometimes fasciculate on short shoots, entire or with crenate or denticulate to spinose margins, penninerved; stipules small, simple or laciniate, sometimes united by a transverse ridge, usually deciduous, or absent Petals (3–)4–5(–6), free or rarely united at the base, imbricate or rarely valvate in bud, usually persistent, sometimes with ventral grooves or hollows or appendages Stamens (2–)3–5(–10), antisepalous, free or more rarely with filaments partly united to form a tube, inserted outside or on or inside the disc (when present); anthers usually short, (1–)2-thecous, extrorse or introrse, basifixed or dorsifixed or versatile, sometimes deciduous, dehiscing by longitudinal or oblique or horizontal slits; pollen simple or more rarely in tetrads or polyads Flowers bisexual, polygamous or unisexual, monoecious or dioecious, actinomorphic, often fragrant, in axillary and/or terminal dichasial or monochasial cymes or panicles or thyrses, sometimes with accessory branches (additional to the normal one in the bract axil), or fasciculate or solitary, usually bracteate; pedicels often articulated Sepals (3–)4–5(–6), imbricate or rarely valvate in bud, free or united at the base, persistent Disc nectariferous, annular, entire or angular or crenulate or lobed or covered with fleshy processes, concave to convex, rarely wholly or partly incorporated in an androgynophore or formed of discontinuous pockets, fleshy or membranous, very rarely absent Ovary free or partly or wholly immersed in the disc, sessile or on a short androgynophore, syncarpous, completely or very rarely incompletely 2–5-locular, or rarely 1-locular by abortion, with 1–many erect or rarely pendulous ovules in 2 rows or rarely superimposed in each locule; styles as many as the locules, free or ± united, or absent; stigmas various, free or ± united Fruit capsular, loculicidal, or of divergent ± dorsally flattened dehiscent mericarps or baccate or drupaceous or dry, indehiscent and sometimes winged Trees, shrubs, shrublets or woody climbers, without tendrils, glabrous or with simple hairs, unarmed or with axillary shoots terminating in a spine, sometimes with rubber-like latex (gutta) in various parts appearing as elastic threads when a leaf is broken Leaves simple, alternate or spiral to subopposite or opposite, sometimes fasciculate on short shoots, entire or with crenate or denticulate to spinose margins, penninerved; stipules small, simple or laciniate, sometimes united by a transverse ridge, usually deciduous, or absent Petals (3–)4–5(–6), free or rarely united at the base, imbricate or rarely valvate in bud, usually persistent, sometimes with ventral grooves or hollows or appendages Stamens (2–)3–5(–10), antisepalous, free or more rarely with filaments partly united to form a tube, inserted outside or on or inside the disc (when present); anthers usually short, (1–)2-thecous, extrorse or introrse, basifixed or dorsifixed or versatile, sometimes deciduous, dehiscing by longitudinal or oblique or horizontal slits; pollen simple or more rarely in tetrads or polyads Flowers bisexual, polygamous or unisexual, monoecious or dioecious, actinomorphic, often fragrant, in axillary and/or terminal dichasial or monochasial cymes or panicles or thyrses, sometimes with accessory branches (additional to the normal one in the bract axil), or fasciculate or solitary, usually bracteate; pedicels often articulated Sepals (3–)4–5(–6), imbricate or rarely valvate in bud, free or united at the base, persistent Disc nectariferous, annular, entire or angular or crenulate or lobed or covered with fleshy processes, concave to convex, rarely wholly or partly incorporated in an androgynophore or formed of discontinuous pockets, fleshy or membranous, very rarely absent Ovary free or partly or wholly immersed in the disc, sessile or on a short androgynophore, syncarpous, completely or very rarely incompletely 2–5-locular, or rarely 1-locular by abortion, with 1–many erect or rarely pendulous ovules in 2 rows or rarely superimposed in each locule; styles as many as the locules, free or ± united, or absent; stigmas various, free or ± united

SELECTED REFERENCE Brizicky, G. K. 1964. The genera of Celastraceae in the southeastern United States. J. Arnold Arbor. 45: 206–234.

Herbs, shrubs, trees, or vines, annual or perennial, deciduous or evergreen, synoecious, dioecious, or polygamomonoecious. Leaves alternate, subopposite, opposite, whorled, or fascicled, simple; stipules absent or present; petiole present or absent; blade margins serrate, dentate, spiny, or entire; venation pinnate, palmate, or 1-veined, sometimes obscure. Inflorescences unisexual or bisexual, terminal or axillary, cymes, racemes, panicles, thyrses, or fascicles, or flowers solitary. Flowers bisexual or unisexual, radially symmetric or weakly asymmetric; perianth and androecium hypogynous or perigynous; hypanthium free, completely adnate to ovary, or absent; sepals (3–)4–5[–7], distinct or connate proximally; petals 0 or (3–)4–5[–7], distinct; nectary present, rudimentary, or absent; stamens 3–5[–10], distinct, free or adnate to nectary; anthers dehiscing by longitudinal slits; ; pistil 1, 1–5-carpellate, ovary superior to 1/2 inferior, 1–5-locular, placentation axile or parietal; ovules 1–2[–4] or 100–2000+ per locule, anatropous; styles 0, 1, or 3, connate proximally; stigmas 2–5. Fruits capsules, dehiscence loculicidal, drupes, or nutlike (small, hard-walled, indehiscent, 1-locular, and 1-seeded) [berries or samaras]. Seeds 1, 2, 40–70, or 100–2000+ per locule, .

Sepals (3)4–5(6), imbricate or rarely valvate in bud, free or united at the base, persistent Seeds with a fleshy or submembranous brightly coloured aril, or winged with the funicle free from the wing (Tab. 80 figs 6–7) or united to its base (Tab. 85 fig. A8) or neither arillate nor winged (usually in indehiscent fruits), with or without endosperm; embryo erect, with cotyledons flat or fleshy, rarely united Fruit capsular, loculicidal, or of divergent ± dorsiventrally flattened dehiscent mericarps or baccate or drupaceous or dry, indehiscent and sometimes winged Ovary free or partly or wholly immersed in the disk, sessile or on a short androgynophore, syncarpous, completely or very rarely incompletely 2–5-locular, or rarely 1-locular by abortion, with 1-? erect or rarely pendulous ovules in 2 rows or rarely superimposed in each loculus; styles as many as the loculi, free or ± united, or absent; stigmas various, free or ± united Disk nectariferous, annular, entire or angular or crenulate or lobed or covered with fleshy processes, concave to convex, rarely wholly or partly forming an androgynophore or discontinuous pockets, fleshy or membranous, very rarely absent Stamens (2)3–5(6–10), antisepalous, free or more rarely with filaments partly united to form a tube, inserted outside or on or inside the disk; anthers usually short, (1)2-thecous, extrorse or introrse, basifixed or dorsifixed or versatile, sometimes deciduous, dehiscing by longitudinal or oblique or horizontal slits; pollen simple or more rarely in tetrads or polyads Petals (3)4–5(6), free or rarely united at the base, imbricate or rarely valvate in bud, usually persistent, sometimes with ventral grooves or hollows or appendages Trees, shrubs, shrublets or woody climbers, without tendrils, glabrous or with simple hairs, unarmed or with axillary shoots terminating in a spine, sometimes with rubber-like latex (gutta) in various parts appearing as elastic threads when a leaf is broken Leaves simple, alternate or spiral to subopposite or opposite, sometimes fasciculate on short shoots, entire or with crenate or denticulate to spinose margins, penninerved; stipules small, simple or laciniate, sometimes united by a transverse ridge, usually deciduous, or absent Flowers bisexual or polygamous or unisexual, monoecious or dioecious, actinomorphic, often fragrant, in axillary and/ or terminal dichasial or monochasial cymes or panicles or thyrses, sometimes with accessory branches, or fasciculate or solitary, usually bracteate; pedicels often articulated Seeds with a fleshy or submembranous brightly coloured aril, or winged with the funicle free from the wing (Tab. 80 figs 6–7) or united to its base (Tab. 85 fig. A8) or neither arillate nor winged (usually in indehiscent fruits), with or without endosperm; embryo erect, with cotyledons flat or fleshy, rarely united Fruit capsular, loculicidal, or of divergent ± dorsiventrally flattened dehiscent mericarps or baccate or drupaceous or dry, indehiscent and sometimes winged Ovary free or partly or wholly immersed in the disk, sessile or on a short androgynophore, syncarpous, completely or very rarely incompletely 2–5-locular, or rarely 1-locular by abortion, with 1-? erect or rarely pendulous ovules in 2 rows or rarely superimposed in each loculus; styles as many as the loculi, free or ± united, or absent; stigmas various, free or ± united Disk nectariferous, annular, entire or angular or crenulate or lobed or covered with fleshy processes, concave to convex, rarely wholly or partly forming an androgynophore or discontinuous pockets, fleshy or membranous, very rarely absent Stamens (2)3–5(6–10), antisepalous, free or more rarely with filaments partly united to form a tube, inserted outside or on or inside the disk; anthers usually short, (1)2-thecous, extrorse or introrse, basifixed or dorsifixed or versatile, sometimes deciduous, dehiscing by longitudinal or oblique or horizontal slits; pollen simple or more rarely in tetrads or polyads Petals (3)4–5(6), free or rarely united at the base, imbricate or rarely valvate in bud, usually persistent, sometimes with ventral grooves or hollows or appendages Trees, shrubs, shrublets or woody climbers, without tendrils, glabrous or with simple hairs, unarmed or with axillary shoots terminating in a spine, sometimes with rubber-like latex (gutta) in various parts appearing as elastic threads when a leaf is broken Leaves simple, alternate or spiral to subopposite or opposite, sometimes fasciculate on short shoots, entire or with crenate or denticulate to spinose margins, penninerved; stipules small, simple or laciniate, sometimes united by a transverse ridge, usually deciduous, or absent Flowers bisexual or polygamous or unisexual, monoecious or dioecious, actinomorphic, often fragrant, in axillary and/ or terminal dichasial or monochasial cymes or panicles or thyrses, sometimes with accessory branches, or fasciculate or solitary, usually bracteate; pedicels often articulated