Click on the above link(s) to continue

Back to Endemics list

The leaves generally are opposite and decussate, rarely ternate or alternate (in the Mascarenes), entire or serrate to dentate. These bear glandular teeth, with simple hairs which can be fasciculate and/ or star-shaped, with small oil glands present in the lamina. Stipules are absent. Inflorescences are cymose, racemose or paniculate or can be solitary or with fasciculate flowers, terminal or axillary or are ramiflorous plants. The bracts are small and deciduous. Flowers are actinomorphic, bisexual or unisexual (in the Mascarenes). 

The receptacle is globular, ovoid to obovoid, urceolate or discoid. The tepals are in series of 1 or 2 (rarely absent), generally small, sub-equal or the tepals are internal and more or less petaloid. Male flowers have few to many stamens arranged in 1 or more series or which irregularly carpet the receptacle. The stamens generally have short and flattened filaments, sometimes bearing a pair of basal glandular appendices. The anther is erect, basifix, bilocular, with locules separated or confluent at the top or, more rarely, at the base, opening by longitudinal slits or by valves. 

Female flowers have few to many carpels. The ovary is unilocular, either with a short stipule or sessile, often embedded in the wall of the receptacle. Staminodium is sometimes present. The style is short or elongated and stigma terminal or replaced by a mucilaginous exudates. There is 1 ovule, which is pendulous or horizontal, and anatropous to amphitropous. Carpels that bear fruits are embedded in the acrescent, indehiscent or drupe receptacle. The mesocarp is fleshy, and bears arils (in the Mascarenes). The endocarp is horn-like or bony. Seeds are pendulous, with a membranous testa. Albumen is abundant, fleshy and oily. The embryo is straight, with erect or divaricate cotyledons. 

These are shrubs, bushes or trees of moderate height, being monoecious or dioecious, more or less aromatic, and sometimes heterophyllous (in the Mascarenes).

Leaves are generally opposite and decussate, rarely grouped in pseudoverticils, ternate or alternate, smooth or pubescent, with simple unicellular hairs, rarely fasciculate. The margin is entire to largely serrate towards the tip.  Juvenile leaves or leaves of shoots are serrate-dentate apically with glandular teeth having an indurate tip.
Inflorescences are sometimes foliate, terminal or axillary, or are ramiflorous plants. Flowers are solitary, fasciculate or in cymoses, in racemes or in panicles. Floral buds are fleshy, globular, depressed globules, cylindrical to ovoid, urceolate (the females generally being flattened) and flattened (at the top), with the top having several pairs of small decussate tepals.

The male receptacle generally splits at anthesis into (3-) 4-6 (-7) valvate lobes, which are more or less regular. The stamens (few to many) are non-glandular, multiseriate, being inserted onto the internal surface of the receptacle. They are sessile or with a distinct filament. The anther is bilocular. The locules can be non-confluent and parallel or confluent at the top, or more rarely at the base. Dehiscence is longitudinal. The connective is sometimes prolonged. The pollen varies from the spherical or ovoid, striated-reticulate to granular.

The female receptacle is urceolate, dicoid or cupuliform at anthesis, with an orifice, which is entire, or having 4 (-10) lobes whereby the lobes can be reflexed or not. 

There are numerous carpels, which are immersed in the wall of the receptacle and sometimes fused to it. The styles are free. The internal surface of the receptacle often bears simple hairs producing abundant mucilaginous exudates in certain species. The ovary is anatropous to amphitropous unilocular bearing 1 pendulous ovule.

The receptacle of the fruit is cupuliform to subglobular-urceolate, more or less corky and brown on the exterior. Drupes are included in the wall of the receptacle. The endocarp is horny. Carpels are ovoid-compressed with an oily mesocarp. The embryo is straight, with flat, oval to elliptical cotyledons. Chromosome number: n=19.