The World Flora Online

Herbs, shrubs, or trees, perennial, deciduous, synoecious [dioecious]; hairs unbranched or 2-armed (occasionally 1 arm absent). Leaves usually opposite, sometimes alternate, simple; stipules absent; petiole usually present, sometimes absent; blade margins entire; venation pinnate (eucamptodromous). Inflorescences axillary or terminal, cymes, umbels, or capitula. Flowers bisexual [unisexual]; perianth and androecium epigynous; hypanthium completely adnate to ovary; sepals 4(–5), distinct or slightly connate; petals 4(–5), distinct, valvate; nectary present, intrastaminal; stamens 4(–5), distinct, free; anthers dehiscing by longitudinal slits; pistil 1, [1–]2[–4]-carpellate, ovary inferior, [1–]2[–4]-locular, placentation apical; ovules 1 per locule, apotropous to epitropous; style 1; stigmas 2. Fruits drupes, rarely fused into a syncarp. Seeds 1(–2) per fruit.

Arbres , arbustes ou rarement herbes rhizomateuses.'Feuilles'alternes ou opposées, simples, entières ou serretées, parfois à base inégale; stipules absentes.'Fleurs'☿ ou ♂ ♀ , en inflorescences axillaires ou terminales constituées de racèmes, de panicules, de cymes ou d'ombelles, parfois ± capitées et entourées de bractées herbacées.'Fleurs'4-5-(7-) mères; calice adné à l'ovaire, à lobes petits ou minuscules et valvaires; pétales libres, valvaires ou imbriqués; étamines en même nombre que les pétales et alternant avec ceux-ci; filets libres; anthères dorsifixes, déhiscentes par fentes longitudinales; disque épigyne; ovaire infère, 1-4-loculaire, à 1 ovule penduleux et anatrope par loge; style court; stigmate capité ou 2-4-fide.'Fruits': drupes ou baies.'Graines à endosperme abondant.\n\t\t\tFamille cosmopolite mais surtout représentée dans les régions tempérées, comprenant suivant Hutchinson 14 genres et environ 90 espèces. Pour la Flore : 1 genre et 1 espèce.

Trees, shrubs, rarely perennial herbs or woody lianes Seed with copious endosperm and a small embryo Flowers hermaphrodite or unisexual (then the plants usually monoecious or polygamodioecious), actinomorphic in cymes or panicles, umbels or rarely in capitula and then with large petal-like bracts Leaves opposite or less commonly alternate, simple, exstipulate Fruit typically a drupe, sometimes a berry Style 1 or several rising from a glandular disk Ovules with 1 integument Placentation usually axile, with 1 anatropous pendulous ovule in each loculus Ovary inferior, with (1)2–4 locules Stamens the same number as the petals and alternating with them, anthers 2-celled dehiscing laterally or rarely introrsely Petals 4–5 (rarely lacking), aestivation imbricate or valvate Calyx-tube adnate to the ovary, sepals 4–5 Seed with copious endosperm and a small embryo Flowers hermaphrodite or unisexual (then the plants usually monoecious or polygamodioecious), actinomorphic in cymes or panicles, umbels or rarely in capitula and then with large petal-like bracts Leaves opposite or less commonly alternate, simple, exstipulate Fruit typically a drupe, sometimes a berry Style 1 or several rising from a glandular disk Ovules with 1 integument Placentation usually axile, with 1 anatropous pendulous ovule in each loculus Ovary inferior, with (1)2–4 locules Stamens the same number as the petals and alternating with them, anthers 2-celled dehiscing laterally or rarely introrsely Petals 4–5 (rarely lacking), aestivation imbricate or valvate Calyx-tube adnate to the ovary, sepals 4–5

Fls perfect or sometimes unisexual, regular, epigynous, 4- or less often 5-merous; cal represented by teeth or a minute rim around the summit of the ovary, or obsolete; pet distinct, valvate or imbricate; stamens as many as and alternate with the pet, or to 15 and ± bicyclic; ovary inferior, 1–4(–9)-locular; style terminal, with a capitate or lobed stigma (or the styles distinct); ovules solitary in each locule, apical or apical-axile or apical-parietal, pendulous; fr most commonly a drupe with a single 1–5- locular, usually longitudinally grooved stone; embryo dicotyledonous, embedded in the copious, oily endosperm; woody plants (seldom herbs) with simple, exstipulate, opposite or less often alternate lvs; fls individually small, borne in various kinds of often cymose-capitate infls, the latter sometimes subtended by a whorl of large, petaloid bracts. 15/110+, cosmop. but mostly N. Temp.

Leaves simple, alternate or opposite, entire or serrate; stipules usually absent Trees, shrubs or rarely perennial herbs Flowers hermaphrodite or dioecious, in racemes, panicles, umbels, clusters of Cymules or compact heads Petals 4–5 or rarely absent, imbricate or valvate Calyx-tube adnate to the ovary; sepals 4–5 or absent Fruit a drupe or berry; embryo small in abundant endosperm Ovary inferior, usually 2-celled but often 1–4 (–10)-celled; ovules pendulous, one per loculus Stamens 4–5, alternating with the petals Trees, shrubs or rarely perennial herbs Flowers hermaphrodite or dioecious, in racemes, panicles, umbels, clusters of Cymules or compact heads Petals 4–5 or rarely absent, imbricate or valvate Calyx-tube adnate to the ovary; sepals 4–5 or absent Fruit a drupe or berry; embryo small in abundant endosperm Ovary inferior, usually 2-celled but often 1–4 (–10)-celled; ovules pendulous, one per loculus Stamens 4–5, alternating with the petals

Trees or shrubs, rarely rhizomatous herbs, mostly deciduous, sometimes evergreen, hermaphroditic [dioecious in African species]. Old branches terete, pith white or brown, lenticels and leaf scars often conspicuous; young branches rounded or slightly 4-ridged; nodes slightly swollen. Leaves opposite, rarely alternate or whorled, estipulate, petiolate, rarely sessile; leaf blade simple, entire, pinnately veined, rarely parallel veined, often pubescent, sometimes papillate; trichomes often 2-armed, arms equal or unequal, appressed and T-shaped, or raised and V- or Y-shaped, or pseudofiliform. Inflorescences cymose, paniculate, corymbose, umbellate, or capitulate, terminal, rarely lateral; bracts minute, not petaloid, early caducous, or 4(–6) and usually showy. Flowers 4-merous. Calyx tubular, fused to ovary, minutely 4-dentate or truncate. Petals 4, free, creamy white or yellow, rarely dark reddish purple or partially dark reddish purple, valvate. Stamens 4, surrounding a fleshy floral disk, alternate petals. Anthers longitudinally dehiscent. Ovary inferior; carpels 2, rarely 3 or 4; locules 2, rarely 3 or 4; ovules pendulous, 1 per locule; style 1, columnar or clavate; stigma capitate, disciform, punctate, or truncate, sometimes slightly 2-lobed. Fruit a drupaceous berry, white, blue, red, or black, berries distinct or fused into a fleshy syncarpous compound fruit; stone of fruit bony, 1- or 2(–4)-chambered, seeds 1 or 2(–4); endosperm oily; cotyledons 2, leaflike.