Genus 1, species 4. South Africa (Cape Colony). Grubbia Berg
[FAMILY 59.] OLACACEAE
Shrubs or trees, rarely undershrubs. Leaves entire. Flowers regular. Calyx usually small. Petals or corolla-lobes 3-6, nearly always valvate in bud. Anthers opening by 2 longitudinal slits. Ovary superior or nearly so, rarely half-inferior or almost inferior, 1-celled, usually septate at the base, rarely 2-5-celled to the top. Ovules 1-5, pendulous from the apex of a usually free placenta, inverted. Style simple. Fruit indehiscent. Seed 1, with a small embryo and abundant albumen.—Genera 11, species 70. Tropical and South Africa. (Plate 36.)
1. Ovary superior, 1-celled, sometimes septate at the base. Ovules 2-3, with no coat. 2
Ovary superior, 1-celled with 4-5 ovules, or completely or nearly completely
3-4-celled, or more or less inferior. Ovules with 1-2 coats. 5
2. Filaments united into a long tube. Stamens 4-5, as many as and opposite the divisions of the corolla. Disc 4-5-lobed. Calyx enlarged in fruit.
Flowers in racemes or panicles. [Tribe APTANDREAE.] 3
Filaments free or nearly so. [Tribe OLACEAE.] 4
3. Flowers 4-merous, unisexual. Ovules 2. Calyx cupular, not splitting at the time of maturity.—Species 1. West Africa. Aptandra Miers
Flowers 5-merous. Ovules 3. Calyx splitting into 3 segments at the time of maturity.—Species 2. Equatorial West Africa. They yield timber and oily seeds which are also used in medicine. Ongokea Pierre
4. Ovules 2. Stamens 5-10. Calyx not enlarged in fruit.—Species 6. West
Africa. Ptychopetalum Benth.
Ovules 3. Stamens 6-12, of which 3-6 are fertile. Calyx enlarged in fruit.—Species 40. Tropics. Some species yield timber. (Plate
36.) Olax L.
5. Stamens as many as and opposite the petals, 4-6, free or nearly so. [Tribe
ANACOLOSEAE.] 6
Stamens 2-4 times as many as the petals. Ovary superior, completely or almost completely 3-4-celled. 9
6. Ovary superior, septate at the base, with 4-5 ovules. Flowers 5-merous, in panicles.—Species 1. Island of Mauritius. Stolidia Baill.
Ovary inferior or half-inferior. Flowers in axillary spikes, racemes or fascicles. 7
7. Flowers 6-merous. Calyx entire or toothed. Ovary very incompletely
2-celled. Ovules 2.—Species 1. Madagascar. Anacolosa Blume
Flowers 4-5-merous. Ovary completely or almost completely 3-4-celled.
Ovules 3-4. 8
8. Flowers 4-merous. Calyx shortly toothed. Ovary 4-celled. Fruit a drupe.—Species 2. Equatorial West Africa. Strombosiopsis Engl.
Flowers 5-merous. Calyx deeply divided. Ovary 3-celled. Fruit a berry.—Species
7. Central Africa. (Including Lavalleopsis Van Tiegh.) Strombosia Blume
9. Stamens 3-4 times as many as the petals, 12-20. Calyx entire, not enlarged in fruit. Juice resinous.—Species 1. Equatorial West
Africa. Yields timber and edible oily seeds. [Tribe COULEAE.] Coula Baill.
Stamens twice as many as the petals, 8-12. Calyx 4-6-toothed. Juice not resinous. 10
10. Anthers globose. Ovary incompletely 3-celled. Style short. Petals
5-6. Calyx much enlarged in fruit. Leaves with milky juice.—Species
3. West Africa. [Tribe HEISTERIEAE.] Heisteria Jaqu.
Anthers linear. Ovary almost completely 3-4-celled. Style as long as the ovary. Petals 4-5. Calyx not enlarged in fruit. Leaves with watery juice.—Species 3. Tropical and South-East Africa. They yield fragrant wood, bark for tanning, edible fruits, and oily seeds, and are also used in medicine. [Tribe XIMENIEAE.] Ximenia Plum.
OLACACEAE.
FLOW. PL. AFR.
Pl. 37.
J. Fleischmann del.
Olax Durandii Engl.