(Last Modified On 3/7/2013)
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(Last Modified On 3/7/2013)
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Family
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HIPPOCRATEACEAE
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Contributor
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CALAWAY H. DODSON AND ANDRE ROBYNS
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Description
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Lianas, shrubs or sometimes trees; milky latex present or not. Leaves usually opposite, occasionally subopposite or alternate, simple, petiolate, generally stipulate, the stipules interpetiolar, small, caducous, sometimes absent. Inflorescences axil- lary or terminal, sometimes extra-axillary, thyrsoid, cymose, racemose, paniculate or fasciculate, sometimes flowers solitary. Flowers bracteolate, usually small, her- maphrodite, infrequently unisexual, antinomorphous; calyx usually almost di- vided to the base, the lobes generally 5, infrequently 2-4, imbricate, equal or not, usually persistent; petals mostly 5 (3-4), imbricate or valvate, entire to serrate at the margins; disc generally present, various, often conspicuous, usually continuous, rarely discontinuous; stamens usually 3, inserted usually within the disc, the fila- ments free or often connate basally; anthers basifixed, 2-thecate, the thecae distinct or more or less confluent, extrorse or introrse, dehiscing transversely or longitu- dinally; pollen grains simple or in tetrads; ovary superior, often concealed within the disc and sometimes adnate to it, (2-) 3-celled, the placentation axile, the ovules 2-many in each cell, usually collateral or 2-seriate, anatropous; style 1, usually short, rarely none, the stigmas obscure or obvious, usually 3, entire or bifid. Fruits of 3 capsular mericarps, these attached separately to the receptacle or connate proximally, dehiscing along a median, longitudinal suture and 2-valvate, or dru- paceous or baccate; seeds few to numerous, with a more or less developed, basal wing or wingless and imbedded in mucilaginous pulp, exalbuminous; cotyledons free or united.
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Habit
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Lianas shrubs
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Habit
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trees
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Distribution
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A family of 18 genera, chiefly distributed in the tropics of both hemispheres.
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Note
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The 12 genera recognized by A. C. Smith in his comprehensive work on the Ameri- can Hippocrateaceae (Brittonia 3: 341-555, 12 figs. 1940) occur in Panama. The Hippocrateaceae are very closely related to the Celastraceae and are often treated as a part of the latter.
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Key
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a. Fruit drupaceous; seeds wingless, embedded in mucilaginous pulp. b. Disc discontinuous, composed of 3 saccate, staminiferous lips; anthers de- hiscing transversely; style 0 -.1. CHEILOCLINIUM bb. Disc continuous; style present. c. Disc short-cylindric, membranous or thin-carnose. d. Flowers 4.5-5 mm. in diam.; anthers dehiscing by transversal, con- fluent clefts; fruit up to 11 cm. in diam. -2. TONTELEA dd. Flowers 1.7-2.2 mm. in diam.; anthers dehiscing by longitudinal clefts, the connective obvious; fruit up to 3 cm. long and about 1 cm. in diam -3. PERI1CASSA cc. Disc annular-pulvinate, carnose -4. SALACIA aa. Fruit composed of 3 capsular mericarps; seeds with a more or less developed, basal wing; disc continuous; anthers dehiscing transversely. e. Mericarps connate proximally; flowers (5.5-)7-11 mm. in diam. f. Petals serrate at the margins; disc short-cylindric, carnose; ovules 8-14 per cell, imbricate in a mass; flowers 10-11 mm. in diam - 5. ANTHODON ff. Petals entire and often revolute at the margins; disc annular-pulvinate, thick-carnose; ovules 6-8 per cell, 2-seriate; flowers (5.5-)7-10 mm. in diam -6. HEMIANGIUM ee. Mericarps attached separately to the receptacle. g. Disc short-cylindric, membranous to carnose. h. Flowers 1.5-2.7 mm. in diam. i. Sepals as long as broad, acute or subacute; pericarp woody; flowers 1.5-2 mm. in diam -7. HYLENAEA ii. Sepals broader than long, rounded; pericarp thin-coriaceous; flowers 2-2.7 mm. in diam -8. ELACHYPTERA hh. Flowers 10-17 mm. in diam.; sepals broader than long, rounded; pericarp thin-coriaceous -9. CUERVEA gg. Disc annular-pulvinate, conspicuously carnose. j. Leaf-blades scabrous; disc conspicuously flattened and puberulus; flowers 9-12 mm. in diam. -10. PRIONOSTEMMA jj. Leaf-blades not scabrous; disc not both flattened and puberulus; flowers 1.7-8 mm. in diam. k. Flowers 1.7-3.5 mm. in diam.; petals glabrous; disc minute, forming an annular cushion below the stamens, glabrous 11. PRISTIMERA kk. Flowers 4-8 mm. in diam.; petals barbellate within; disc con- spicuous, cupuliform, minutely tomentellous-papillate without ------------------------- ----12. HIPPOCRATEA
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