Shrubs, lianas or rarely small trees. Leaves alternate, imparipinnate,
sometimes unifoliolate, exstipulate; petiole pulvinate at base; leaflets subopposite,
enitre, base often slightly peltate. Inflorescence axillary, pseudoterminal or
terminal panicles or racemes, bracteate. Flowers 5-merous, rarely 4-merous,
hypogynous, bisexual, rarely unisexual and then plants dioecious, regular; pedicels
articulated near the apex. Sepals free or connate at the very base only, persistent,
imbricate or valvate. Petals free, or connate at base, imbricate, rarely valvate.
Stamens 10, in 2 whorls, free or coherent at the base, inner whorl often shorter
and imperfect; anthers dorsifixed in the lower half, curving outwards in anthesis,
dehiscing lengthwise and introrse; pollen grains oblate-spheroidal to prolate-spheroidal to prolate, medium sized, tricolporate; colpus long slit like or tapering;
endoaperture simple, with granules or with definite operculum; exine rugulo-reticulate to finely or coarsely reticulate. Disc absent or poorly developed.
Pistils 5, rarely 1 - 3, free, episepalous; ovary 1-loculed, with 2, nearly basal
to axile, collateral, orthotropous or anatropous ovules, usually 1 maturing; style
(in each carpel), subulate or filiform; stigma capitellate, simple or 2-lobed.
Fruit dry, one-seeded follicle, usually opening by a ventral slit, sometimes
indehiscent. Seeds large, often with an aril, endospermous or not; cotyledons
thick, flat.
Circumtropical, predominantly developed in Africa and S.B.
Asia, (Malesia, Myanmar, Thailand and Sri Lanka); 16 genera and about 300 - 350 species;
4 genera and 16 species in India.
Literature.
SCHELLENBERG, G. (1938). In Engl., Das Pflanzenr. Heft. 103: 1 - 326.
LEENHOUTS, P.W. (1958). Flora Malesiana Ser. I, 5: 495 - 541. MONDAL, M.S.
(1990). Pollen
morphology and systematic relationships of the families Sabiaceae (s.l.) and Connaraceae. New
Delhi.
KEY TO THE GENERA
1a. Calyx accrescent; pistils 4 - 5
2
b. Calyx not accrescent; pistil 1
3
2a. Calyx imbricate, immediately after flowering conically
contracted or so, appressed and hard in fruit; petals
2 - 3 times longer than the sepals; seeds enveloped
by a loose arilloed
b. Calyx valvate, not conically contracted and not
appressed to the fruit; petals almost equal or
slightly longer than the sepals; seeds provided with
sarcotesta
3a. Leaves tri to multifoliolate; inflorescence a large, terminal,
panicle; sepals, petals and stamens glandular; floral epidermis
with glandular-capitate hairs; seeds non endospermous
b. Leaves unifoliolate; inflorescence axillary, small, often glomerulate; floral parts non glandular; floral epidermis devoid of glandular-capitate hairs; seeds endospermous
