Spermatophyta: Dicotyledonae: Archichlamydeae

Rutaceae - Citrus family

Mendonça, F. A. (1963) Rutaceae FZ 2(1)

Description of the family

Armed or unarmed trees or shrubs, sometimes climbing, rarely suffrutices or perennial herbs (Thamnosma only). Stipules 0. Leaves opposite or alternate, simple or compound, often aromatic when crushed, dotted with translucent glands which may be confined to the margin only, usually readily visible when the leaf is held up to the light. Inflorescence a panicle, raceme or cluster. Flowers bisexual or unisexual, (2-)4-5-merous. Petals free. Stamens as many as or twice the number of petals, inserted at base of disk. Ovary composed of a single carpel or of 2-5(-7) partially or wholly united carpels, superior or semi-inferior. Fruit baccate or drupaceous, 1-4-locular or a capsule or rarely a 1-seeded follicle.

Worldwide: 153 genera and 1,800 species, cosmopolitan, but especially in tropical areas.

The larvae of the following species of insect eat species of this family:
Papilio nireus (Green-banded swallowtail)
Toddalia asiatica

More sample images from the Rutaceae (Click on each image to see a larger version and details of the record)

Zanthoxylum capense

Zanthoxylum capense

Zanthoxylum leprieurii

Zanthoxylum leprieurii

Toddalia asiatica

Toddalia asiatica

Teclea nobilis

Teclea nobilis

Citrus limon

Citrus limon

Links to genera:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

GenusContent
Calodendrum Thunb.Description, Image
Casimiroa La LlaveDescription, Image
Citropsis (Engl.) Swingle & M. Kellerm.Description, Image
Citrus L.Description, Image
Clausena Burm. f.Description, Image
Fagaropsis Mildbr. ex Siebenl.Description
Oricia Pierre
Teclea DelileDescription, Image
Thamnosma Torr. & Frém.Description
Toddalia Juss.Description, Image
Toddaliopsis Engl.
Vepris Comm. ex A. Juss.Description
Zanthoxylum L.Description, Image

Other sources of information about Rutaceae:

Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Rutaceae page
Flora of Mozambique: Rutaceae
GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network) taxonomy for plants report for Rutaceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten and Petra Ballings, 2002-13

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T. & Ballings, P. (2013). Flora of Zimbabwe: Family page: Rutaceae.
http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/family.php?family_id=199, retrieved 22 May 2013

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