Ebenaceae Gürke

Ebenaceae, F. White. Flora of West Tropical Africa 2. 1963

Morphology General Habit

Trees or shrubs without milky latex, heartwood sometimes black (Ebony of commerce)

Morphology Leaves

Leaves nearly always alternate, exstipulate, entire

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers actino-morphic, hypogynous, usually unisexual, but frequently with rudiments of other sex, solitary, fasciculate or cymose, rarely in false racemes, sometimes cauliflorous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx gamosepalous, entire to deeply lobed, always persistent in fruit and usually accrescent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla gamopetalous, shortly to deeply lobed; tube often fleshy and constricted at throat; lobes contorted in bud

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Stamens from 2 to more than 100, epipetalous or borne on receptacle, exserted or included, filaments often very short, anthers usually apiculate, often 2 or more arising from a single filament

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Ovary syncarpous, each locule either with 2 ovules or divided by a false septum into 2 uni-ovulate compartments; styles distinct or basally connate, very rarely completely united; stigmas usually large and conspicuous; ovules pendulous from apex of locule

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit a berry

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds large; endosperm abundant, hard, sometimes ruminate; embryo half as long as the endosperm, with foliaceous cotyledons

Ebenaceae, F. White and B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1996

Morphology General Habit

Trees, shrubs or rarely subshrubs, dioecious, without latex; heartwood often black

Morphology Leaves

Leaves simple, usually alternate and entire or obscurely crenulate; stipules absent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers regular, hypogynous, 3-8-merous, unisexual but generally with remnants of the other sex present, arranged in cymes, fascicles or simple to branched false-racemes or sometimes solitary; often cauliflorous; peduncles sometimes bracteate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx gamosepalous, entire and truncate to deeply lobed, always persistent in fruiting state and usually accrescent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla gamopetalous, shortly to deeply lobed, the tube somewhat fleshy and constricted at the throat, the lobes contorted and overlapping to the right when viewed from side

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Stamens from (2-)3 to more than 100, epipetalous or borne on the receptacle, exserted or included; filaments often very short; anthers basifixed, usually apiculate and setulose, often unequal, occasionally 2 or more borne on one filament; rudimentary ovary variable in development, rarely ± lacking

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Ovary syncarpous of 2-8 carpels, each with 2 ovules and usually completely or incompletely divided by a false partition into 2, 1-ovuled locules; styles the same number as the carpels, distinct or joined at the base, very rarely completely fused; stigmas usually well developed; ovules apical, pendulous, anatropous, with 2 integuments; staminodes very variously developed, rarely absent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Nectaries

Disk present or absent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruits usually berries, rarely with a tardy dehiscence

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds large, usually encircled by a distinct peripheral vascular ring; hilum small, apical, obscure; testa coriaceous; endosperm abundant, hard and horny, smooth or ruminate; embryo mostly ± 1/2 the length of the seed; radicle large, superior; cotyledons leafy

Ebenaceae, F. White. Flora Zambesiaca 7:1. 1983

Note

Note. The morphology, anatomy and cytology of the Ebenaceae have been studied more fully than those of many tropical families and have yielded much information of taxonomic interest. Hence, the following account is somewhat more detailed than is usual in Flora Zambesiaca. I am indebted to F. S. P. Ng, A. N. Caveney and J. Cassells for providing unpublished information, mostly on anatomy, and to R. B. Drummond, T. Müller, G. Pope and H. Wild for their comments on an early draft

Morphology General Habit

Trees, shrubs or suffrutices without milky latex

Morphology General Wood

Heartwood sometimes black

Morphology Leaves

Leaves simple, exstipulate, usually alternate and entire

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence sometimes cauline, determinate, usually cymose or fasciculate but sometimes a simple or branched false raceme, or reduced to a solitary flower which usually terminates a bracteate peduncle

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers actinomorphic, hypogynous, unisexual, but usually with rudiments of the other sex, 3–8–merous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx gamosepalous, entire and truncate to deeply lobed, always persistent in fruit and usually accrescent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla gamopetalous, shortly to deeply lobed; tube sometimes fleshy and constricted at the throat; lobes contorted sintrorsely in bud

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Nectaries

Disk present or absent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Stamens from (2) 3 to more than 100, epipetalous or borne on receptacle, exserted or included; filaments often very short; anthers basifixed, usually apiculate and setulose, often of unequal size and 2 or more arising from a single filament

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Ovary syncarpous, 2–8–carpellary, each carpel bi–ovulate and usually completely or incompletely divided by a false septum into 2 uni–ovulate locules; styles equal in number to the carpels, distinct or basally connate, very rarely completely united; stigmas usually large and conspicuous; ovules apical, pendulous, anatropous, with 2 integuments

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Sterile Parts

Staminodes very variable in development, rarely absent Pistillode very variable in development, rarely completely absent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit usually a berry, rarely showing tardy dehiscence

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds large, with a distinct circum–peripheral vascular loop Hilum small, apical, inconspicuous Testa coriaceous (parenchymatous) Endosperm abundant, hard, horny, smooth or ruminate; embryo usually about half as long as the seed; radicle large, superior; cotyledons foliaceous