Home
Trees, shrubs, woody climbers or herbs, sometimes epiphytic or hemi-epiphytic. Colleters often present in axils of leaves, or on stipules and sepals. Leaves usually decussate, ± entire, usually penninerved, rarely 3–7-plinerved (Mitrasacme and Strychnos); stipules interpetiolar, often reduced to a stipular line, sometimes intrapetiolar. Inflorescences variously cymose to panicle-like, 1– or 3–many-flowered. Flowers 5-merous, sometimes 4-merous, actinomorphic, usually bisexual. Sepals united or free, or calyx absent and then corolla enclosed in a 2-lobed involucre (Phyllangium). Corolla gamopetalous. Stamens alternate, inserted on corolla tube, included or exserted; anthers basifixed or sometimes subdorsifixed, slightly to deeply bifid basally; dehiscence introrse, latrorse or extrorse, by lengthwise slits. Ovary superior or semi-inferior, 2-locular; ovules 1–many, amphitropous or anatropous; placentation axile, often peltate; style usually 1, or 2 and then separate or ± connate. Fruit superior, capsular, berry-like or drupaceous. Seeds 1–many; embryo minute, straight; cotyledons small; endosperm copious.
Trees or shrubs (in our area; also herbs elsewhere) with opposite simple leaves; stipules interpetiolar, sometimes reduced to a mere line; latex absent. Inflorescences usually cymose and moderately branched but sometimes of numerous cymules racemosely arranged. Flowers regular, usually hermaphrodite, sometimes heterostylous, usually 4–5-merous (corolla-lobes up to 20 in Anthocleista). Calyx shortly joined, ± campanulate. Corolla with a short or long tube; lobes imbricate or valvate. Stamens equal in number to and alternate with the corolla-lobes (in our area; more or less numerous elsewhere), the filaments often short. Disc absent or slight. Ovary superior or half-inferior, 2 (rarely 1 or 4)-locular; style 1, rarely divided above; stigmas 1, 2 or 4; ovules usually numerous, sometimes few (rarely 1) on axil placentas, anatropous or amphitropous. Fruit a usually septicidally dehiscent capsule (loculicidally dehiscent in >i>Mostuea), berry or drupe. Seeds various, sometimes flattened or winged; endosperm present; embryo usually straight; radicle usually inferior
Stipules true or false, present, reduced to lines connecting the petiole bases, or absent; in some cases leaves connate–perfoliate (in some Buddleja spp. with opposite leaves); lamina simple, variously shaped, pinnately veined, entire, incised, or less often lobed; sometimes with 1–3 pairs of basal secondary veins larger and curved along the margin, rendering the leaves seemingly 3–7–veined (most Strychnos spp.)
Stamens as many as corolla lobes and alternating with them or sometimes less; filaments free from each other, from much shorter to much longer than the anthers; anthers basifix, often versatile; cells 2 or (outside FZ area) 4, discrete or confluent at the apex, parallel or divergent at the base, dehiscent throughout by a longitudinal slit
Pistil simple; ovary superior or sometimes slightly inferior, mostly 2–celled, but sometimes 1–, or 4–celled; style simple, terminal, persistent or ; stigma simple or sometimes branched; ovules 2–many, on an axile placenta attached to the septum or in a unicellular ovary to the bottom (Strychnos spinosa) or parietal
Flowers regular, mostly hermaphrodite, homo– or (in Mostuea) heterostylous, mostly 4– or 5–merous (corolla and androecium 8–16–merous in Anthocleista), mostly actinomorphic but then often with subequal or unequal sepals, less often subactinomorphic or zygomorphic
Leaves mostly opposite, less often ternate (often in Nuxia, sometimes in Strychnos), occasionally quaternate (sometimes in Nuxia), or sometimes subopposite or alternate (sometimes in Buddlejeae, especially in Buddleja and Nuxia)
Seeds variously shaped, small or large, sometimes winged, with fleshy, starchy, or horny (Mostuea, Strychnos) endosperm surrounding a rather small or large straight embryo
Stamens epipetalous, as many as the corolla-lobes and alternate with them, or rarely reduced to 1; anthers 2-celled, opening lengthwise
Ovary superior, 2-4-celled; style single; ovules several to numerous, rarely solitary, axile or ascending from the base of each cell
Corolla usually coloured, sympetalous, variously shaped; lobes valvate, imbricate, or contorted in bud
Inflorescence usually thyrsoid or otherwise cymose, or 1–flowered, rarely a raceme (Gomphostigma)
Sepals usually green, free or united, usually persistent, imbricate, valvate, or apert in bud
Seeds sometimes winged; embryo straight, in the middle of fleshy or cartilaginous endosperm
Flowers hermaphrodite, usually actinomorphic, paniculate, corymbose or in globose heads
Corolla tubular, lobes 4-16, contorted, imbricate or valvate
Leaves opposite, simple; stipules present or absent
Mostly trees and shrubs; stem usually woody
Fruit a capsule or a berry, 1–many–seeded
Woody or less often herbaceous plants
Calyx-lobes valvate or imbricate
Fruit a capsule, berry or drupe
