Dichapetalaceae Baill.

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, lianas, or suffruticose subshrubs

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules present but usually caducous, sometimes fimbriate .  Leaves simple, alternate, entire, pinnately veined

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence corymbose-cymose of subcapitate, or the flowers fasciculate, axillary or more frequently attached to the petiole or rarely to the midrib

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers small, hermaphrodite or less frequently unisexual, actinomorphic to weakly zygomorphic; pedicels often articulated. Petals 5, either free, imbricate and almost equal, or connate into a tube, with lobes equal or markedly unequal, lobes usually bifid at apex and frequently bicucullate or inflexed; often clawed at base

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 5, all fertile or only 3 fertile, free or adnate to the corolla tube, with filaments or rarely anthers sessile; anthers bilocular, dehiscing longitudinally.  Disc of 5 equal or unequal hypogynous glands alternating with stamens, or united into a disc

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary superior, free, 2-3, locular, ovules anatropous, pendulous, paired at top of each loculus

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Styles 2-3, free or more frequently connate nearly to apex, often recurved,  stigma capitate or simple

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a dry or rarely a fleshy drupe; epicarp most frequently pubescent; mesocarp thin; endocarp hard; 1-2 (-3) locular, loculi usually with only one seed developing; seed pendulous, without endosperm; embryo large, erect .

Diagnostic

Key to genera of Neotropical Dichapetalaceae 1.  Petals free and regular; stamens free; inflorescence with a long distict peduncle.... Dichapetalum 1.  Petals connate or only 3 free; stamens adnate to corolla tube; inflorescences essile or almost so ... 2 2.  Corolla with 5 equal obtuse lobes, shorter than tube; fertile stamens 5, anthers sessile on tube ...   Stephanopodium 2.  Corolla zygomorphic, lobes bifid and bicucullate, exceeding tube in length; fertile stamens 3 or 5, anthers on slender filaments ...Tapura Distinguishing characters (always present): The inflorescence is often borne on the petioles and rarely on the midrib. The petals are usually two-lobed and cucullate and dry black. Fimbriate stipules occur in some species of Dichapetalum Thouars.

Distribution

Stephanopodium is endemic to the Neotropics. Dichapetalum and Tapura also occur in the Old World tropics. All three genera are native to the Neotropics. A tropical family of about 240 species in three genera, distributed throughout the lowland tropical regions of both hemispheres (but absent from Polynesia and Micronesia), extending into the subtropics in Africa and India.

Note

Some species are poisonous, especially to cattle. Notes on delimitation: The family has been variously placed, often in the Euphorbiales. Cronquist placed it in the Celastrales near to the Icacinaceae. Recent molecular work shows that it belongs in the Malpighiales and is very close to the Chrysobalanaceae, Trigoniaceae and Euphroniaceae. Number of genera: Three: Dichapetalum, Stephanopodium Poepp. & Endl., Tapura Aubl.

Dichapetalaceae, F.J. Breteler (Agricultural University, Wageningen). Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1988

Morphology General Habit

Trees, shrubs, subshrubs or lianas

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules present, caducous or persistent, simple, entire, or variously lobed or divided

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, simple, entire, pinnately nerved, often glandular

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences axillary, sometimes arranged on leafless axillary or terminal shoots, cymose, distinctly branched to subglobose, sessile to pedunculate, the peduncle free or adnate to petiole; bracts and bracteoles usually small

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers small, actinomorphic to zygomorphic, (4–)5-merous, bisexual (Africa) to unisexual; pedicel usually articulate, the upper part (the true pedicel) absent to very distinct

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals (4–)5, subequal to strongly unequal, imbricate, free or shortly united, rarely forming a tube

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals (4–)5, equal to very unequal, alternating with the sepals, free or nearly so, or, more often, united with the alternating stamens into a very short to distinct tube, entire or bilobed to bicucullate apically

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Androecium of 2–5 stamens and 0–3 staminodes, opposite the sepals; anthers dithecous, introrse, opening by longitudinal slits, usually with a distinct connective

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Sterile Parts

Basal staminodes (disc-glands, disc-lobes, hypogynous glands) 1–5, opposite the petals, free or united into a disc, variously shaped

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Pistil 2–3(–4)-merous; ovary superior, with 2 collateral pendulous anatropous ovules in each locule, raphe ventral, obturator distinct or not; styles 2–3(–4), free or nearly so, more often almost completely united with free apical parts

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a drupe with 1–3(–4) 1-seeded free pyrenes, deeply lobed or not; exocarp dehiscent or indehiscent; mesocarp ± fleshy; endocarp indehiscent, usually with a distinct apical, and usually partly ventral, suture, pergamentaceous to woody or bony, hairy inside or not

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds exalbuminous, rarely with some albumen; testa usually thin, glabrous, rarely hairy; cotyledons usually planoconvex

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Germination

Germination usually hypogeal, first pair of leaves opposite or alternate

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

Distribution

A family of three genera with approximately 175 species: Dichapetalum Thouars (a pantropical genus with c. 140 species), Stephanopodium Poepp. (c. 15 species in the Neotropics), and Tapura Aubl. (19 species in the Neotropics); only Dichapetalum is found in New Guinea.

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

Morphology General Habit

Small trees or shrubs, sometimes climbing

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, simple; stipules present

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers small, mostly hermaphrodite, actinomorphic or slightly zygomorphic

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 5, free or partially connate, imbricate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals mostly 2-lobed or 2-partite, free or united with the stamens into a tube

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Stamens 5, alternate with the petals, free or united; anthers 2-celled, opening lengthwise, the connective often dorsally thickened

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Nectaries

Hypogynous glands opposite to the petals, free or connate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Ovary superior to quite inferior, 2–3-celled; style mostly simple, 2–3-fid at the apex; ovules 2 in each cell, pendulous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a drupe, dry or rarely fleshy, sometimes the epicarp splitting

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds without endosperm; embryo large, straight