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Malpighiaceae (from the genus Malpighia, in honor of Marcello Malpighi, once professor of medicine at Pisa). Malpighia Family. Fig. 31. Trees or shrubs, most often climbing: leaves usually opposite, often with petiolar glands and jointed petioles: flowers commonly bisexual, usually obliquely irregular: sepals 5, mostly separate, some or all with large glands; petals 5, fringed or toothed, slender-clawed; stamens 10, in part staminodial, rarely fewer, the outer opposite the petals, hypogynous or nearly so, usually connate below; anthers very diverse and odd; ovary superior, 2-3- celled and lobed, rarely 5-celled, the cells 1-ovuled; styles 2-3, rarely connate: fruit commonly separating into 2-3 nut-like portions which are entire, or pectinately winged, or naked, rarely a single nut or drupe; seeds exalbuminous; embryo variously curved or spiral, rarely straight.
This family has 55 genera and about 650 species, generally distributed in the tropics, but reaching to Texas and California in North America, and Port Natal in Africa. They are most abundant in the tropical forests of South America. The family is closely related to the Zygophyllaceae, Sapindaceae, and Erythroxylaceae, as shown by the lobed and winged fruit, or clawed petals. The glandular calyx, clawed petals, the outer stamens opposite the petals, peculiar anthers, queer fruit, and curved embryo are together distinctive.
The family is of little economic importance. Various coloring matters and astringent tannins are contained in the bark, for which reason some of the Malpighiaceae have been used for dysentery and intermittent fever. Some are used as a remedy for snake-bites. The fruits of certain Malpighiaceae are sour, juicy and refreshing.
Few species are in cultivation in North America, all in California, Florida or the West Indies. Galphimia and Stigmaphyllon are ornamental; Malpighia glabra is the Barbadoes cherry, cultivated in the West Indies for the cherry-like fruit.
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