Flacourtiaceae

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

Read about Flacourtiaceae in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Flacourtiaceae (from the genus Flacourtia, named in honor of E. de Flacourt, a governor of Madagascar). Flacourtia Family. Trees or shrubs, rarely climbing: leaves usually alternate and in 2 ranks: flowers bisexual, rarely unisexual, regular; sepals 2-6, commonly 4-5, imbricated, rarely otherwise; petals 0, or equal to the sepals, or many, imbricated or convolute; stamens numerous, hypogynous or perigynous; receptacle enlarged and variously modified, often surmounted by a diversely formed disk; ovary superior or nearly so, 1-celled; placentae parietal; ovules numerous; styles and stigmas 1 to several: fruit dry or fleshy, dehiscent or indehiscent. There are 70 genera and more than 500 species of tropical distribution. The family is related to the Violaceae, Passifloraceae, and other families with similar parietal placentation, but is most closely related to the Bixaceae with which it has often been united, and from which it differs mainly in the absence of slime-cells. In general, the peculiar ovary, the numerous stamens, the regular flower, and the enlarged receptacle are characteristic. The sour fruit of several species is eaten, or preserved, in the tropics. The seeds or Pangium edule are roasted and used for baking. The leaves of Casearia esculenta are eaten in India. The wood is little used. The bark of Neumannia theiformis is used like ipecac in Madagascar. Chaulmugra oil is obtained probably from Gynocardia odorata of farther India. A peculiar resin is secured from species of Laetia of Cuba. Coccos oil, used in perfumery, is obtained from the Polynesian genus Myroxylon. The fixed oil of species of Pangium is used in cooking. Probably 5 or 6 genera are in cultivation in the warmer parts of North America: Aberia (Kei Apple); Azara; Carrieria; Flacourtia (Rambustan, Governor's Plum); Idesia, hardy in Mass.; Oncoba; Xylosma. 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 It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article.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

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