Home
Shrubs or small trees; rarely scandent? Branchlets glabrous; young parts sometimes pubescent. Stipules small, lanceolate, sparsely laciniate, caducous, or ex-stipulate (in some extra-Mal. spp.). Spines terminating a short-shoot, and/or in a leaf axil, or none. Leaves spiral, alternate, rarely opposite (extra-Mal.), or in fascicles especially on short-shoots, variable both in shape and texture even in one species. Cymes axillary, one to several in a leaf axil, sometimes crowded at the uppermost part of a short-shoot, or flowers sometimes in axillary fascicles. Pedicels articulated. Flowers bisexual, sometimes unisexual. Calyx 5(-4)-lobed. Petals 5(-4), patent sometimes reflexed after anthesis. Disk fleshy, flat or rarely cupular, rounded, or slightly angular. Stamens inserted on the margin of the disk or slightly just beneath its outer margin, in female flowers abortive; anthers ± introrse. Ovary partly or rarely entirely immersed in the disk, the emerging part subglobose or slightly 3-angular; completely or incompletely 3-(or 2-)celled, each cell with 2 ovules; stigmas 3 (or 2), slender, lobed or obscure. Ovules attached on the inner side of the septum near the base. Capsule subglobose, sometimes slightly 3(-2)-angular, loculicidal, 2-6-seeded. Seeds ellipsoid, at least at the base enveloped by the aril, after dehiscence remaining and exposed in the spreading valves, or erect and sticking together (in extra-Mal. spp.).
Shrubs or trees, <polygamomonoecious>. Branchlets terete. Leaves persistent, alternate; stipules present; petiole present; blade margins entire or serrate; venation pinnate. Inflorescences axillary, cymes or flowers solitary. Flowers bisexual and unisexual, radially symmetric; perianth and androecium hypogynous; hypanthium absent; sepals 5, distinct; petals 5, white or greenish white; nectary intrastaminal, annular, fleshy. Bisexual flowers: stamens 5, free and inserted under nectary; staminodes 0; pistil 2–4-carpellate; ovary superior, <immersed in and adnate to nectary>, 2–4-locular, placentation axile; style 1; stigmas 2–4; ovules 1–2 per locule. Staminate flowers: stamens 5, free from and inserted under nectary; staminodes 0; pistillode present. Pistillate flowers: staminodes 5, alternate with petals, undivided, not gland-tipped, <minute>; pistil 2–4-carpellate; ovary superior, <immersed in and adnate to nectary>, 2–4-locular, placentation axile; style 1; stigmas 2–4; ovules 1–2 per locule. Fruits capsules, 2–4-locular, obovoid, 2–4-angled, apex not beaked. Seeds 1 per locule, ellipsoid, not winged; aril bright red, completely surrounding seed.
Shrubs or small trees. Leaves alternate or in fascicles, rarely (not in Australia) opposite; margins serrate or entire; stipules minute or absent. Flowers bisexual, or unisexual with ± well-developed staminodes and pistillode, in lateral cymes or racemes with the axis sometimes growing out into a leafy branch; peduncle subtended by a bract; pedicels articulate. Sepals 4 or 5, imbricate in bud. Petals 4 or 5, imbricate in bud, spreading. Stamens inserted on or beneath margin of disc; anthers ± introrse. Ovary partly or rarely completely immersed in disc, 2-or 3-locular with 2 erect collateral ovules per locule attached to septum near base; stigmas 2 or 3. Fruit a capsule, 2–6-seeded. Seeds arillate. [This description from Jessup (1984) requires revision; since publication of the Flora of Australia Volume 22 the Australian native species of Maytenus have been placed in Denhamia based on the morphological and molecular study by McKenna et al. (2011)-Editor, 29 July 2022.]
Shrubs or small trees, usually erect, rarely viny or climbing, glabrous, rarely pubsecent, branches often inermous. Leaves alternate, often disitichous, coriaceous, serrate, petiolate; stipules small, caducous. Inflorescences axillary, fasciculate, cymose, rarely racemose, or flowers solitary. Flowers white-green, bisexual, 5-merous. Disk fleshy, annular, undulate or 5-lobed, intrastaminal; anthers longitudinally dehiscent, introrse. Ovary usually 2-locular, rarely 3-or 4-locular, base confluent with disk; ovules erect, often 1 per locule. Capsule obovoid or ellipsoid, leathery, loculicidally dehiscent. Seeds 1-4, ellipsoid; aril basal to enveloping seed.
Shrubs or small trees. Leaves usually alternate, distichous, entire or serrate, coriaceous, petiolate; stipules small. Inflorescences fasciculate, bracteolate, axil-lary or caulinary. Flowers bisexual, 5-merous; calyx lobes and petals imbricate; disc fleshy, thick, annular; stamens attached on the margin of the disc; pistil semi-inferior by adnation, 2-or 4-loculed, each 1-or 2-ovuled, rarely with obscure aril at the base. Fruit a capsule, 1-to 3-loculed, 1-to 3-seeded; the seed included in an incomplete aril.
Trees, shrubs or rhizomatous shrublets, erect or scrambling or sarmentose or rarely scandent, rarely with latex, glabrous to ± pubescent; branches terete to lined or angular, sometimes ending in a spine, frequently condensed to form short shoots.
Inflorescence pedunculate or sessile, dichasial to monochasial or fasciculate, many-to few-flowered, single in axils of foliage leaves or in clusters on short shoots, or rarely in axils of bracts forming “panicles”; bracts persistent.
Stamens (4)5(6), with filaments thin or flattened, free or united with the base of the disk; anthers versatile or sub-basifixed, introrse, usually reddish if sterile, with separate thecae dehiscing longitudinally.
Ovary superior, sessile, almost free or up to 1/2-immersed in the disk, 2–3(4)-locular, with 2 erect collateral ovules in each loculus; style short or ± elongated, cylindric, simple; stigma 2–3(4)-branched.
Seeds 1–6(8), glossy, red-brown, with yellow or more rarely white or purple aril forming a fleshy basal cupule or a partial or complete thin covering, with or without fleshy endosperm.
Leaves spiral or fasciculate (on short shoots), entire or with margin denticulate, petiolate; stipules free, small, caducous or absent.
Fruit capsular, coriaceous or woody to papyraceous or somewhat fleshy, without emergences, dehiscing loculicidally to the base.
Flowers bisexual or unisexual with ± well-developed staminodes and pistillode, pedicellate, with pedicels articulated.
Disk intrastaminal, single, convex to shallowly concave, entire or shallowly (4)5–10(12)-lobed or-angled.
Petals (4)5(6), white to yellow or sometimes green or red, imbricate in bud, spreading.
Sepals (4)5(6), unequal or equal, imbricate, ± united, with margin entire or ciliolate.
