Escalloniaceae R.Br. ex Dumort.

Escalloniaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora Zambesiaca 7:1. 1983

Morphology General Habit

Trees or shrubs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves simple, alternate, rarely subopposite or subverticillate, usually glandular-serrate; stipules usually absent or minute

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers hermaphrodite or less often dioecious or polygamous, mostly in terminal or axillary racemes, panicles, or cymes; in one genus epiphyllous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 4-5, mostly united at the base or rarely free, imbricate or valvate, often persistent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals 4-5, free or rarely connate into a short tube, imbricate or valvate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Nectaries

Disk annular or with lobes alternating with the stamens

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Stamens (4)5(6), sometimes alternating with staminodes, perigynous, free; anthers 2-celled, opening by longitudinal slits

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Ovary superior or inferior, syncarpous or apocarpous, 1-6-locular; ovules with axile or parietal placentation; ovules numerous; styles 1-6, free or ± joined

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a capsule or berry

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds few to many, with small or large embryo and copious endosperm

Maas, P.J.M. & Maas-van de Kamer, H. (2012). Neotropical Escalloniaceae.

Morphology

Description

Shrubs or trees, terrestrial, rarely epiphytic ; stems often with exfoliating bark ; stipules usually absent.  Leaves alternate , simple , margins entire or often with glandular teeth.  Inflorescences mostly terminal racemes or panicles, or axillary and of solitary flowers.  Flowers actinomophic, bisexual ; calyx campanulate , 5- lobed ; petals 5, free , imbricate , often spathulate ; stamens 5, free , anthers dithecal, longitudinally dehiscent , basifixed; intrastaminal disc present, surrounding the base of the style ; ovary inferior, 2-3-locular, placentation axile , ovules many, style 1, stigmas 1-3.  Fruits septicidal capsules.  Seeds many, small, striate .

Distribution

Distribution in the Neotropics

Worldwide, except Africa, the Escalloniaceae comprise 7 genera and 129 species, 2 genera and about 40 species in the Neotropics.

• Escallonia Mutis ex L.f. (39 spp. of which 22 are found in the Neotropics) - Central America, Andean South America from Colombia to S Argentina, and SE Brazil.
• Valdivia Remy (1 sp.) - in extra-neotropical Central Chile.

Diagnostic

Distinguishing characters (always present)

• Leaves alternate and often with glandular teeth.
• Flowers with an intrastaminal disc, calyxcampanulate, petals free, often spathulate, ovary inferior, 2-3-locular.
• Fruit a capsule.

Other important characters

• Sometimes epiphytic; barkexfoliating.

General Description

Status

• The genus Escallonia is native in the Neotropics and the USA.
• Valdivia is endemic to Central Chile.

General notes

• Locally the wood of Escallonia is used for fuel, charcoal, and timber.
• Escallonia species are cultivated throughout the world as ornamentals for their attractive leaves, exfoliatingbark, and sweet scent.
• It is often dominant in Andean forests at high elevations.  The highest species diversity of Escallonia is found in Chile and Argentina.

Notes on delimitation

• The family Escalloniaceae is placed in a monotypic order Escalloniales in the APG III classification (Stevens, 2008; APG III, 2009).  In the past it has been placed in Saxifragaceae (Sleumer 1968) and Grossulariaceae (Cronquist 1981); and Takhtajan (2009) placed it in the order Desfontainiales.

Literature

Important literature

A.P.G. III. 2009. An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG III. Bot. J. Linnean Soc. 161: 105-121.

Cronquist, A. 1981. An integrated system of classification of flowering plants. Columbia University Press. New York

Maas, P.J.M. & Westra, L.Y.Th. 2005. Neotropical Plant Families. A concise guide of vascular plants in the Neotropics. 3rd ed., p. 293. A.R.G. Gantner Verlag K.G., Ruggell.

Mori, S.A. 2004. Escalloniaceae. In: Smith, N.P., Mori, S.A., Henderson, A., Stevenson, D.W., and Heald, S.V.  (eds.). Flowering plants of the Neotropics. pp. 145-146. Princeton University Press, Oxford and Princeton.

Sleumer, H. 1968. Die Gattung Escallonia (Saxifragaceae). Verh. Kon. Ned. Akad. Wetensch., Afd. Natuurk. Ser. 2. 58(2): 1-146.

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

Takhtajan, A. 1997. Flowering Plants. Second edition. Springer.