Trees, shrubs or sometimes climbers, rarely epiphytic, evergreen, usually with lenticels and rarely with spines. Leaves spirally arranged, alternate or whorled, often crowded at ends of branches, entire or rarely sinuate-toothed, petiolate, rarely sessile, exstipulate, simple, penninerved. Inflorescence axillary, terminal or pseudoterminal or lateral, mostly in thyrses, rarely simple cymes or corymbs, bracteate. Flowers actinomorphic, bisexual, rarely functionally unisexual, pedicellate. Sepals 3 - 5, free or connate to various degrees. Petals 3 - 5, free, rarely basally coherent, imbricate. Stamens 3 - 5, free, alternipetalous, episepalous, erect; filaments filiform-subulate, free or sometimes connivent below; anthers erect, oblong, basifixed, introrse; loculi 2, parallel, opening by longitudinal slits or rarely by 2 apical pores; disc absent or rarely present. Ovary superior, sessile or stipitate, 1-loculed, sometimes completely or incompletely 2 - 5-locular due to the projection of placentae; carpels 2 (3 - 5); placentae 2 - 5, parietal or basal, rarely axile; style simple, short or long, glabrous; stigma apical, capitate, thickened or obscurely 2 - 5-lobed; ovules 2 to many in each locule, parietal or basal, anatropous. Fruits 2-several valved, loculicidal or sometimes septicidal capsules or berries, rarely dry and indehiscent, usually containing viscous pulp; seeds 2-many, erect, rarely winged; embryo minute, linear; endosperm copious, firm-fleshy.
Tropical and subtropical regions of Old World, Africa,
Asia, Australia and the New Zealand; 9 genera and ca 250 species, 1 genus and 11 species in India.
Literature. NAYAR, M. P. & G. S. GIRI (1980) Pittosporaceae. In: Fasc. Fl. India 6: 1 - 15.
Tropical and subtropical regions of Old World, Africa,
Asia, Australia and the New Zealand; 9 genera and ca 250 species, 1 genus and 11 species in India.
Literature. NAYAR, M. P. & G. S. GIRI (1980) Pittosporaceae. In: Fasc. Fl. India 6: 1 - 15.
