Melianthaceae

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Plant Characteristics
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Scientific Names



Read about Melianthaceae in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture 

Melianthaceae (from the genus Melianthus, derived from the Greek meaning honey and flower). Melianthus Family. Shrubs or trees: leaves alternate, entire or pinnate: flowers bisexual, irregular, soon inverted; sepals 5, imbricated; petals 4-5; stamens 4-5, or 10, free or slightly connate at the base, alternating with the petals; disk present, extrastaminal, crescent-shaped, or annular with 10 projections; carpels 4-5; ovary 4-5-celled; ovules 1 to many in each cell; style 1; stigma 4-5-lobed: fruit a capsule; seeds albuminous, sometimes arillate.

All the 3 genera and 17 species are natives of Africa. The Melianthaceae were formerly united with the Sapindaceae, with which they agree in the extra-staminal disk, but they differ in the vertically bisymmetrical, not obliquely bisymmetrical, flowers, and more abundant endosperm.

In southern California, species of Melianthus are grown for ornament.

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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 It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article.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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