Simarubaceae

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

Read about Simarubaceae in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Simarubaceae (from the genus Simaruba, which is the Caribbean name of Simaruba officinalis). Quassia Family. Fig. 31. Shrubs or trees: leaves alternate or rarely opposite, pinnate, rarely simple, dotless: flowers unisexual, regular; sepals 3-5, more or less connate, imbricated or valvate; petals 3-5. rarely 0, free or connate, variously arranged in the bud; disk prominent, very diverse, rarely 0; stamens usually twice the petals, filaments naked or with a scale; carpels 2-5, free, or connate at the base or by the styles, or completely united into a 2-5-celled, superior ovary; each cell 1-, rarely several-, ovuled; carpels in fruit drupe-like, rarely forming a berry or samaras. About 28 genera and 140 species are generally distributed in the tropics, but extend into the temperate regions. The center of distribution is in tropical America. Some fossil species are known. The family is closely related to the Rutaceae, but differs in the absence of foliage-glands and in the presence of scales on the filaments. It is also closely related to the Zygophyllaceae. Most of the Simarubaceae contain a bitter principle, also, sometimes, a resinous matter and an oil which is of value as a tonic. Quassia amara of tropical America furnishes the quassia wood, famous as a bitter tonic. Picrasma excelsa, of Jamaica, also furnishes quassia of equal quality. Branches of quassia and the pulverized bitter wood of species of Simaruba are used in tropical America to drive away insects. The seeds of Simaruba Cedron are used for the same purpose. Various species are used for snake-bites. The leaves and sap of species of Picramnia furnish a beautiful violet dye. Very few are in cultivation in America: Picrasma, a semi-hardy shrub; and Ailanthus (Tree of Heaven), a well-known tree. 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 It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article.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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