Olacaceae Juss. ex R.Br.

Olacaceae, G. Ll. Lucas. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1968

Morphology General Habit

Trees, shrubs or woody climbers

Morphology Leaves

Leaves usually alternate, simple, exstipulate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers usually bisexual, sometimes dioecious (Octoknema), regular, borne in axillary fascicles of cymes or racemes, sometimes solitary

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 3–5(–6), small, usually partially united and often cupuliform, the margin entire or lobed, accrescent in some genera >i>(Heisteria, Strombosia and >i>Olax in East Africa)

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals 3–5(–6), free, valvate or sometimes partially united

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Stamens 4–12, opposite the petals if equal in number to them, free or basally adnate to them, sometimes sterile (staminodes); anthers dithecous, with longitudinal dehiscence by means of a slit or more rarely an apical pore (not in East Africa)

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Nectaries

Disk present

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Ovary superior, semi-inferior (caused by the expansion of the disk so enveloping the basal portion of the ovary) or inferior (as in >i>Octoknema), 1–3–5-locular; ovules 1–5, one per locule, pendulous from the apex of a central placenta; style usually short; stigma 2–5-lobed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a berry or drupe, sometimes surrounded by a persistent enlarged calyx

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds with copious endosperm

Olacaceae, J. G. Garcia. Flora Zambesiaca 2:1. 1963

Morphology General Habit

Trees or shrubs, sometimes armed with spines

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, simple, entire, penninerved, exstipulate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers actinomorphic, bisexual, in axillary fascicles, cymes or racemes

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx cupuliform, often accrescent, with the base free or more or less adnate to the ovary, and the margin entire or lobed

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals 3–5 (6), valvate in bud, sometimes connate in pairs

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Stamens as many as or more numerous than the petals, free or with the filaments more or less adnate to the petals, all fertile or some sterile

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Nectaries

Disk present or inconspicuous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Ovary free or more or less immersed, usually 3–5-locular at the base or nearly to the apex; style short, columnar; stigma capitate, sometimes lobulate; ovules (2) 3–5, pendulous from the apex of a central placenta

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit drupaceous, ellipsoid to globose

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed with abundant fleshy endosperm; embryo minute, apical

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit

Shrubs or trees, the leaves usually alternate, entire and without stipules

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers small, perfect or unisexual, solitary or in cymes or racemes; calyx cup-shaped, persistent, with 4–6 teeth or lobes, sometimes greatly enlarged in fruit

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals 4–6, free or united below into a bell-shaped corolla, inserted on the receptacle or at the margin of a disc, valvate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 4–12, more or less adnate to the petals, all fertile or some of them sterile; anthers 2-celled

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary free, 1-celled or imperfectly 3–5-celled below, with a central placenta at the apex; ovules usually 3, pendulous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a drupe, 1-seeded; embryo minute, at the apex of the fleshy endosperm.

Distribution

A widely dispersed tropical family of 25 genera and about 250 species.

Timothy M. A. Utteridge and Laura V. S. Jennings (2022). Trees of New Guinea. Kew Publishing. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit

Trees, shrubs or climbers, branches often zig-zag, often root parasites

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules absent

Morphology General Indumentum

Hairs simple or stellate where present

Morphology Leaves

Leaves simple, alternate, margins entire, lamina often bumpy when dry due to groups of silicified cells, pinnately veined or 3–5 veined from the base, tertiary venation sometimes scalariform

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences or flowers axillary, racemose, spicate or fasciculate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers small, bisexual, usually 5-merous, sepals small, cupular; petals valvate, free or fused at the base, sometimes hairy inside; disk present; stamens usually twice as many as the petals, filaments free or fused to the petals; ovary superior, sometimes immersed in the disk, basally 2–5 locular, becoming unilocular at the apex; ovules 2–5, pendulous on a free central placenta when unilocular

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit an indehiscent drupe or nut, often dull black and sometimes enclosed within the expanded calyx or disk and appressed to the fruit and giving the appearance of an inferior fruit (in New Guinea), or subtended by the colourful, contrasting enlarged calyx forming a cup, reflexed cup or large saucer-shaped cup or frill below the fruit (not in New Guinea)

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed 1.

Olacaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit

Trees, shrubs or climbers

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, simple; stipules absent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers actinomorphic, usually hermaphrodite and small

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx-lobes imbricate or open in bud

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals free or variously connate, valvate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Nectaries

Disk often present, usually annular

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Stamens free or rarely united into a column, the same number as and opposite the petals or fewer or more numerous, some often without anthers; anthers 2-celled, opening by slits or pore-like slits

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Ovary superior or slightly immersed in the disk, 1–3-celled; style 1, with a 2–5-lobed stigma; ovules 1–5 from the apex of a central placenta in a 1-celled ovary, or pendulous from the inner angle of a 2- or more-celled ovary

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit drupaceous, sometimes inferior by accrescence of the calyx or receptacle

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds with copious endosperm and small or medium-sized straight embryo

Octoknemataceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit

Trees and shrubs; leaves alternate, simple, entire, exstipulate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers unisexual in axillary racemes, or hermaphrodite in panicles borne on the older branches

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 5, valvate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals absent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Stamens (or in female flower staminodes) 5, opposite the sepals, free

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Nectaries

Disk present

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Ovary inferior, 1-celled or 3 (–4)-celled almost to the top; ovules 3 (–4), at the apex of a basal threadlike placenta which reaches and is adnate to the top of the ovary; style very short, stigmas 3–5-lobed, lobes bifid

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit drupaceous, with a single seed; endosperm slightly ruminate, with small embryo, the radical much longer than the cotyledons