Ochnaceae

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

Read about Ochnaceae in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Ochnaceae (from the genus Ochna, which is from ochne, the Greek name of a wild pear tree; the resemblance is probably in the foliage). Ochna Family. Fig. 38. Shrubs or trees, with alternate, simple or pinnate, coriaceous leaves: flowers bisexual, regular; sepals 4-5, imbricated, rarely 10; petals 5, rarely 3-4, or 10, usually convolute; stamens 1-3 times the number of the petals, sometimes with 1-3 series of staminodia, hypogynous, separate; anthers usually opening by terminal pores; an hypogynous stipe usually present (gynophore); ovary 4-5-celled, often deeply lobed; ovules 1 to many in each cell; style and stigmas 1-5: fruit coriaceous and indehiscent, or fleshy, or a capsule, or composed of the 1-seeded drupe-like lobes of the ovary which are whorled on the enlarged fleshy receptacle (Ochna). The family has 17 genera and 100 or more species, distributed in the tropical regions of both hemispheres, most abundant perhaps in Brazil, but also abundant in Africa. The family is not closely related to any other but seems to stand between the Ranunculus group and the Hypericum group of families. The many sepals, petals and stamens, the gynophore, and usually the lobed ovary, are distinctive. The wood of some species of Ochnaceae has been used locally for timber, and, because of the pronounced astringent properties of some species, they have been used locally for fly-bites, ulcers, and so on. Ochna multiflora, of Upper Guiana, is cultivated in America. This is grown occasionally in greenhouses because of the peculiar fruit, for an account of which see the article on Ochna. CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

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