Trees, shrubs or climbers. Leaves alternate, simple or imparipinnately
compound, exstipulate. Inflorescence terminal or axillary, pedunculate cymes
or panicles, rarely a simple raceme. Flowers bisexual, rarely unisexual, small.
Sepals 4 - 5 partite, imbricate, persistent. Petals 4 - 5, mostly free, equal or unequal,
antisepalous, imbricate. Stamens as many as petals, equal or unequal, all or
only 2 larger, fertile, the rest staminodial; anthers 2-loculed with a thick
connective; pollen grains binucleate tricolporate. Disc annular or cupular, dented
or lobed. Carpels 2 - 3, syncarpus; ovary superior, 2 - 3-loculed, each locule with
2, semianatropus ovules on axile placentation; styles 2 - 3, free or united; stigma
Simple or 2 - 3-lobed. Fruits drupaceous, subglobose, 1 - 2-loculed, 1-seeded.
Seeds with or without endosperm; embryo large, oily.
South East Asia, China Japan and Mexico to Brazil, 4; genera and ca 46 species; 2 genera and 11 species in India.
Literature. MONDAL, M. S. & K. MITRA, (1982). Pollen Morphology and Systematic Relationship of Sabiaceae. Geophytology 12 (2): 166 - 180; NAYAR, M.P. & S.C. MAJUMDER (1990). Sabiaceae. Fasc. Fl. Ind. 20: 115 - 134.
South East Asia, China Japan and Mexico to Brazil, 4; genera and ca 46 species; 2 genera and 11 species in India.
Literature. MONDAL, M. S. & K. MITRA, (1982). Pollen Morphology and Systematic Relationship of Sabiaceae. Geophytology 12 (2): 166 - 180; NAYAR, M.P. & S.C. MAJUMDER (1990). Sabiaceae. Fasc. Fl. Ind. 20: 115 - 134.
KEY TO THE GENERA
| 1a. Scandent shrubs or climbers; sepals and petals equal; stamens 4 - 5, equal, all fertile | 2. Sabia |
| b. Small to large trees; sepals and petals unequal; stamens 5, unequal, outer 3 staminodial, inner 2 fertile | 1. Meliosma |
