Woody climbers, shrublets, shrubs or trees; indumentum of appressed medifixed
(T-shaped) hairs often mixed with simple hairs. Leaves usually opposite, rarely alternate or verticillate, mostly petioled, rarely sessile, simple, mostly entire, rarely sinuateserrate or lobate; glands often present on petiole or on lower surface or margins of
leaves; stipules deciduous, more rarely absent, sometimes large, connate and more or
less persistent in leaf-axils. Inflorescence often terminal, sometimes axillary, racemose,
corymbose or umbellate. Flowers bisexual, rarely polygamous, actinomorphic to zygomorphic; pedicels articulate, bracteolate; disk inconspicuous. Calyx usually 5-partite;
segments imbricate, very rarely valvate, 1 or more furnished with a large gland, rarely
eglandular. Petals 5, clawed or not, mostly equal, fimbriate or dentate. Stamens usually
10, equal or 1 or more longer than the rest; filaments often connate at base; anthers
2-locular, introrse, dehiscing lengthwise. Ovary superior, generally 3-locular, rarely 2-
or 4-locular; ovules 1 in each locule; styles mostly 3, rarely 2 or 4, free, rarely connate,
very rarely solitary and then other locules without styles; stigma terminal or subterminal,
inconspicuous. Fruit a schizocarp; mericarps mostly winged in various ways (samara);
seeds without endosperm; embyro mostly straight, rarely curved; cotyledons often
unequal.
Tropical America, Old World tropics and subtropics; ca 60 genera and ca 80
species, in India 2 genera and 23 species indigenous and 6 genera and 13 species
cultivated.
Literature.
CANDOLLE, A.P.de (1824). Malpighiaceae. Prodr. 1: 577 - 592. JACOBS, M. (1955).
Malpighiaceae. In: STEENIS, Fl. Males. ser. 1.5(2): 125 - 145. LOBREAU, D. (l967). Contribution a 'l'etude
du pollen des Malpighiaceae d' Afrique. Pollen et Spores 9(2): 241 - 277. NASIR, Y. (l973). Malpighiaccae.
In: NASIR, E. & S.I. ALI, Fl. W. Pakistan 45: 1 - 4.
NIEDENZU, F. (1928). Malpighiaceae. In: ENGLER,
Pflanzenr. 91, 93, 94: (IV 141): 1 - 246, 247 - 572, 573 - 870. fig. 1 - 48.
KEY TO THE GENERA
1a. Climbers or stragglers; fruits winged
2
b. Erect shrubs or small trees; fruits wingless
6
2a. Stipules free, inserted on stem between petioles, sometimes reduced or absent; indigenous
3
b. Stipules connate with petiole-base; cultivated
4
3a. Flower. actinomorphic; styles 3; samaras surrounded by a disk-like lateral wing
