Elaeocarpaceae Juss.

Milliken, W., Klitgard, B. and Baracat, A. (2009 onwards), Neotropikey - Interactive key and information resources for flowering plants of the Neotropics. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Morphology General Habit

Trees, shrubs or herbs

Morphology Trunk

Trunks sometimes with buttresses

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, opposite or whorled; simple or compound; stipules persistent, caducous or absent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence simple or compound, axillary or terminal

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers mostly hermaphrodite, rarely unisexual, actinomorphic; sepals 4-11, free or partly united, valvate; petals 4-5 or absent, free or partly united, valvate; stamens 4 to numerous, free, sometimes into the swollen receptacle; anthers with 2-apical pores, sometimes the connective is continued into a small knob -like, thick, obtuse or filiform awn; ovary superior, with 2 to many locules, with 1 to many pendulous ovules; style simple, lobed or slender

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a capsule or berry -like drupe, armed or smooth

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 1 to many per locule, sometimes arillate.

Note

Notes on delimitation: The Elaeocarpaceae was placed within the order Oxalidales (APG I, 1998, APG II, 2003, APH III, 2009) together with Cephalotaceae, Connaraceae, Cunoniaceae, Oxalidaceae, Brunelliaceae (APG II, 2003) and Huaceae (APG III, 2009).  In order to consider Elaeocarpaceae as monophyletic, the Tremandraceae was included in synonymy.  Crayn et al. (2006) demosntrated that Sloanea is a monophyletic sister-group of the clade formed by Vallea and Aristotelia. In the same study, Crinodendron was also considered as monophyletic, and forming a sister-group with Peripentadenia. Number of genera: 3 genera: Crinodendron, Sloanea, Vallea.

Diagnostic

Distinguishing characters (always present): There are no characters which are ALWAYS present. Notable genera and distinguishing features: Sloanea: Buttressed roots. Petioles incrassate at one or both ends. Connective is continued into a small knob-like, thick, obtuse or filiformawn. In the New World, only the genus Sloanea has sepals, while Crinodendron and Vallea have sepals and petals. The fruits of Sloanea are armed or smooth woody capsules; in Crinodendron the fruits are dehiscent and winged, and in Vallea they are fleshy and berry -like.

Distribution

All taxa listed are native. The genus Elaeocarpus L. is cultivated in Brazil. Crinodendron Molina: Chile, Bolivia, Brazil and Argentina (endemic to South America). Sloanea L.: Central and South America. Vallea Mutis ex L.f.: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia (endemic to South America).

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

Distribution

Elaeocarpaceae comprises 12 genera and about 550 species with a distribution that covers most of the tropics and Southern Hemisphere warm temperate regions but excludes continental Africa. There are centres of diversity in the Neotropics and the Papuasian and Australian region.

Recognition

The family can be recognised by the simple leaves which often have serrate margins, the petioles which are often swollen at one or both ends, the inflorescences which usually have an unbranched axis, the flowers which are often nodding, the petals which are valvate and often fringed at the apex, and the fruit which can be a dehiscent capsule or an indehiscent berry or drupe.

Morphology General Habit

Shrubs and trees, rarely subshrubs, buttresses sometimes present

Morphology General

Sap not recorded (but some Elaeocarpus species are resinous upon drying)

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules present or absent

Morphology General Indumentum

Indumentum when present usually of simple hairs, occasionally hairs stellate or gland-tipped

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, spiral or opposite, simple, petiolate, petioles often swollen at one or both ends, often distichous, margins usually serrate or dentate, rarely entire

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences terminal or axillary, rarely fasciculate or flowers solitary

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers bisexual, (3–)5-merous; calyx lobes usually free, valvate, sometimes imbricate at apex, rarely tubular; petals present (in New Guinea), free, valvate, rarely imbricate at apex, toothed, lobed or fringed, rarely entire; disk annular or lobed if present; stamens 4–many, free, inserted on or above disk or between disk lobes, dehiscing by pores or transverse splits, connective sometimes extended into an awn; ovary superior, syncarpous, 2–8-locular, ovules 2–20 per locule in 2 rows, placentation axile, style simple (in New Guinea), stigma punctate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a berry, drupe or dehiscent capsule (sometimes spiny in Sloanea)

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 1–many, seed coat dry or forming a fleshy sarcotesta (arillode).