Trees or shurbs, base of lateral twigs often with small distichous bracts, sometimes
occuring between leaves. Leaves simple, alternate, involute in buds, entire, distichous,
margin leaving more or less permanent trace as two longitudinal lines on the upper
Surface. Stipules intrapetiolar entirely connate, rarely bifid, often bicarinate. Flowers small, solitary or fasciculate in leaf axils or on short branches, often dimorphous or even 3 - 4-morphous, pentamerous, actinomorphic, bisexual; pedicels bracteolate, more or
less thickened, often only under the calyx. Calyx 5 -
6-lobed, free or connate at base, imbricate. Petals 5 - 6, free, deciduous, appendaged, alternating with calyx lobes. Stamens 10 or rarely 12 - 14 in 2 whorls persistent, filaments connate at base into a
staminal tube, often with toothed margin; anthers ellipsoid, basifixed, cordate at base, 2-loculed, dehiscence longitudinal. Ovary 1 - 3-loculed, ovules pendulous, anatropous, 1 - 2 in each locule; styles 3, erect, free or sometimes connate at base; stigmas flattened or clavate. Fruit a drupe. Seeds 1 with thin testa, with or without endosperm.
Throughout tropical and subtropical regions, chiefly in America and Madagascar
ca 200 species; 7 in India.
Literature.
PLOMAN, T. (1976). Orthography of Erythroxylum (Erythroxylaceae). Taxon 25: 141 - 144 .
KEY TO THE SPECIES
1a. Stipules persistent
2
b. Stipules caducous
3
2a. Leaves cuneate-obovate to obovate; petals with 3-lobed appendages; drupes ovoid and straight
