Large to small trees, occasionally buttressed at base. Leaves simple, alternate,
rarely opposite, often crowded at the tips of branchlets; stipules caducous. Inflorescences axillary racemes, cymes or flowers solitary, paired or fascicled. Flowers often
fragrant, regular, bisexual, rarely polygamous. Sepals free, valvate, rarely shortly connate, hairy or glabrous. Petals free, usually valvate, hairy or glabrous, margins entire or
laciniate, sometimes petals sepaloid or absent. Stamens many, arising from inside of
disc; filaments free, hairy or glabrous; anthers simple, awned or bearded, 2-loculed,
opening by terminal pores or slits. Disc nectariferous, lobed or cushion-shaped or
glanduliform. Ovary superior, rarely semi-inferior, 2-
7-loculed, ovules 2-
many in each
locule, hairy or glabrous; styles glabrous or hairy at base; stigmas simple. Fruits a drupe,
capsule or berry, smooth or wrinkled, setose or spiny, dehiscent or indehiscent. Seeds
smooth, rugose or tubercled, arillate or not, pendulous from axile placenta; testa
crustaceous or bony; endosperm fleshy; cotyledons flat.
Tropics and subtropics of the world; ca 9 genera and 400 species; 2 genera and 33 species in India.
Literature.
COODE, M.J.E. (1978). A conspectus of Elaeocarpaceae in Papuasia. Brunonia 1: 131 - 302. MOORE, H. E. Jr. (1953). Some notes on cultivated Elaeocarpaceae. Baileya 1: 112 - 113.
SCHLECHTER, R. (1916). Die Elaeocarpaceae Papuasiens. Bot. Jahrb. 54: 92 - 155. SCHUMANN, K. (1890 & 1897). Elaeocarpaceae In: ENGLER, A. & K. PRANTL, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 3, 6: 1 - 8. 1890; Nachtr. 230. 1897.
KEY TO THE GENERA
1a. Flowers in racemes; ovules 2 in each locule; fruit a drupe
