Moringaceae Martinov

Moringaceae, Bernard Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1986

Morphology General Habit

Trees, sometimes with swollen trunks, shrubs or small woody subshrubs with tuberous rootstocks (often smelling and tasting of horseradish); wood often brittle and bark sometimes resinous or gummy

Morphology Leaves

Leaves petiolate, alternate, deciduous or rachis of pinnae sometimes persistent, 1-3-imparipinnate; leaflets mainly opposite, entire; stipules and stipels absent or minute but sometimes with stipitate glands at the base of the petioles and pinnae

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers regular in 3 species and nearly so in two others but somewhat irregular in the rest, hermaphrodite, white, red or yellow, often numerous in axillary panicles, the floral parts borne on a cup-like or in one species tubular receptacle

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 5, free above the receptacle, equal or unequal, imbricate in bud, the fifth posticous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals 5, equal or unequal, imbricate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Stamens inserted on the margin of the disk or epipetalous, declinate, 5 perfect ones alternating with 3-5 staminodes or setae; filaments free or partly united; anthers dorsifixed, 1-thecous, opening lengthwise by a slit, sometimes cohering; pollen grains trizonocolporate, with smooth exine

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Ovary superior, stipitate, cylindrical, 1-locular of 3 carpels and with 3 parietal placentas; style terminal, slender, tubular with open canal, truncate at the apex and without stigmatic lobes; ovules numerous in 2 series on each placenta, pendulous, anatropous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule elongate, beaked, 3-valved, 3-6-angled, sometimes torulose

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds unwinged or with 3 conspicuous wings, the wings hardened or membranous; embryo straight; endosperm absent

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Trees, shrubs, subshrubs or perennial herbs with tuberous rootstocks, often smelling of horse-radish

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, 1–3-imparipinnate; leaflets mainly opposite, entire; stipules and stipels absent or minute but sometimes with stipitate glands at base of petioles and pinnae

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Flowers in axillary panicles, regular or somewhat irregular, bisexual

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth

Sepals 5, imbricate in bud. Petals 5, imbricate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 5 fertile alternating with 3–5 staminodes; filaments free or partly united; anthers dorsifixed, 1-thecous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary superior, cylindrical, 1-celled of 3 carpels; style terminal, slender, without stigmatic lobes; ovules numerous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule elongate, 3-valved

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds often with 3 conspicuous wings; endosperm absent; embryo straight.

Distribution

Family with a single genus native from Africa, Arabia e India.

Every, J.L.R. (2010). Neotropical Moringaceae.

Morphology

Description

Woody , deciduous trees; rootstocks tuberous. Leaves alternate , compound , 3- pinnate ; leaflets entire in 4-6 pairs, ovate , elliptic , or oblong , glabrous at maturity; stipules glandular at base of petiole and leaflets. Inflorescence axillary panicles, bracteate. Flowers bisexual ; sepals 5, lanceolate to linear - lanceolate , usually puberulent ; petals 5, free , spatulate; stamens 5, free from and opposite corolla members, hairy at base, staminodes 5 alternating with stamens, filaments encircling disk, anthers dorsifixed, dehiscing via full-length slits; ovary superior , syncarpous, hairy, gynophore present, carpels 3, locule 1, ovules numerous, style 1, hollow, stigma minute. Fruit a capsule , woody , 3-valved. Seeds numerous, 3-angled, wings 0.5-1 cm wide (rarely absent).

Distribution

Distribution in the Neotropics

• Arid areas, recorded in the Caribbean, parts of Central America and Mexico.

Diagnostic

Other important characters

• Leaflets in 4 - 6 pairs, puberulous when young and glabrous at maturity.
• Sepals usually puberulent.
• Seeds often winged.

Key differences from similar families

• Can be distinguished from the Papilionoideae of the Leguminosae which have (9-)10(-many) stamens.
• The flowers of Moringa resemble 'inverted' pea flowers with 2 dorsal sepals and 1 dorsal petal usually remaining unreflexed and forming a projecting "keel", while the rest of the perianth reflexes down to form a "banner" at right angles to the "keel" (Lianli & Olson 2001).

Distinguishing characters (always present)

• Spiral, deciduous, compound, 3-pinnate leaves.
• Conspicuous glands often secreting clear or amber liquid at the petiole and leaflet bases.
• Widely-spreading, paniculate inflorescence, 10-30cm long.
• Linear bracts ca. 1mm.
• Three-angled, capsular fruits.

General Description

Number of genera

• One: Moringa Rheede ex Adans.(introduced).

Status

• No native genera.

General notes

• M. oleifera Lamark is cultivated for its many uses especially as a high vitamin leaf crop.

Notes on delimitation

• Currently placed within the Brassicales (APGIII).

Literature

Important literature

APG III. 2009. An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 161(3): 105-121.

Culham, A.C. 2007. Moringaceae. In:  V.H. Heywood, R.K. Brummitt, A. Culham and O. Seberg (eds.). Flowering Plant Families of the World. Pp 173-174. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Lianli, L., and M.E. Olson. 2001. Moringaceae. In: Raven, P.H., I. Al-Shehbaz, and G. Zhu, (eds.). Flora of China vol. 8: 196. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.

Mabberley, D.J. 2008. Mabberley's plant book. Third edition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Stevens, P.F. 2008. Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9 onwards. http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb/

Watson, L. and Dallwitz, M.J. (1992 onwards). The Families of Flowering Plants: Descriptions, Illustrations, Identification, and Information Retrieval. Version 3rd March 2009. http://delta-intkey.com