Spermatophyta: Dicotyledonae: Archichlamydeae: Santalales

Olacaceae - Sour plum family

Garcia, J.G. (1963) Olacaceae Flora Zambesiaca 2(1)

Description of the family

Trees or shrubs, sometimes armed. Stipules 0. Leaves alternate, simple, entire; midrib impressed above, prominent below (in ours). Flowers actinomorphic, unisexual or bisexual. Calyx cup-shaped, margin entire or lobed. Petals 3-5(-6), free or united, valvate. Stamens as many as or more numerous than the petals; all fertile or some sterile (i.e. staminodes may be present). Ovary superior or semi-inferior, usually 3-5-locular at base. Stigma lobed or capitate. Fruit a 1-seeded drupe (in ours).

Worldwide: 27 genera and 180 species, tropical and South Africa.

Zimbabwe: 3 genera and 6 taxa.

Olax dissitiflora

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

GenusContent
Olax L.Description, Image
Strombosia BlumeDescription, Image
Ximenia L.Description, Image

Other sources of information about Olacaceae:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Olacaceae
Flora of Burundi: Olacaceae
Flora of Caprivi: Olacaceae
Flora of the DRC: Olacaceae
Flora of Malawi: Olacaceae
Flora of Mozambique: Olacaceae
Flora of Rwanda: Olacaceae
Flora of Zambia: Olacaceae

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Olacaceae
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Olacaceae
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Olacaceae
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Olacaceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Olacaceae
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Olacaceae
JSTOR Plant Science: Olacaceae
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Olacaceae
Wikipedia: Olacaceae
Plants of the World Online: Olacaceae
Tropicos: Olacaceae



Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Zimbabwe: Family page: Olacaceae.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/family.php?family_id=154, retrieved 11 December 2024

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