Ochna
mauritiana
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They are trees or bushes, rarely herbs. The leaves are alternate, simple, and generally deciduous. The lamina is often more or less dentate with stipules. Inflorescences are terminal or axillary, in panicles, umbels or in clusters but rarely do they occur as single flowers. The bracts are generally deciduous and the pedicels articulate.
Flowers are hermaphrodite, regular, and more rarely irregular. Sepals (3-) 5 (-10) are free and accrescent. Petals (4-) 5 (-12), are free, deciduous. The stamens (1-) 5-¥, are free, and inserted on receptacle. Dehiscence is longitudinal or by pores and the filaments persisting.
The ovary is superior, with (3-) 5 (-15) carpels, either complete with terminal style or more or less free carpels, fused at the inferior part into a thick gynobase giving a single gynobasic style. The fruit, is either a septicidal capsule with 2-5 valves, 1-¥ seeds, or formed by many fleshy shells inserted onto gynobase. Seeds do not contain albumen.
Ochna
These are trees or bushes, generally with deciduous leaves. Inflorescences are terminal or ending in short and lateral branches, in panicles, clusters or umbels, while solitary flowers rare. Bracts are deciduous. There are (4-) 5 Sepals, which are persisting and extending in the fruit.
There are (14-) 20-¥
stamens, which open by longitudinal dehiscence or by pores. Ovary contains
(3-) 5-15 carpels. It is uni-ovulate, united by a single gynobasic style
more or less divided at the top into as much lobes as carpels.
The fruit formed by many
black shells, inserted onto extending gynobase, and is red in colour. Seeds
are straight while embryo is straight or bent.