Quiinaceae

Abstract

Usually (andro)dioecious trees of moderate size with lysigenous mucilage-containing spaces and ducts. Leaves opposite or whorled, serrate to entire, simple, lobed or pinnately compound (often pinnately compound on young plants, simple on adults), usually glabrous, petiolate, secondary veins pinnate, craspedodromous to brochidodromous, tertiary parallel or plumose reticulate and very closely spaced; stipules interpetiolar, foliaceous and with midrib and pinnate venation or setaceous, distinct or sometimes pairwise connate. Inflorescences axillary or (Froesia) terminal thyrsoids or botryoids. Flowers bisexual or more often unisexual and then dioeciously distributed (the pistillate with stamens producing sterile pollen), hypogynous, regular; sepals 3–5(6), small, unequal, imbricate; petals (3)4–5(–8), contorted or imbricate, basally sometimes joining with neighbouring petals and sepals to form a short floral cup; stamens 15–numerous, sometimes forming 5 indistinct fascicles; filaments distinct, slender; anthers basifixed to slightly dorsifixed, bithecate, dehiscing by slits; gynoecium syncarpous, 2–14-carpellate, longitudinally ribbed, with as many locules and stylodia as carpels, or (Froesia) apocarpous and 3-carpellate; ovules 2(–4) in each locule, on basal-axile placentas, epitropous, anatropous, ascending. Fruit berry-like, fleshy or leathery, but often dehiscent at full maturity, longitudinally ribbed. Seeds with or without endosperm, villous or (Froesia) glabrous; the embryo straight, with short hypocotyl and thick cotyledons, or with thin cotyledons and thick endosperm (Lacunaria, Touroulia).