Solitary or aggregated in inflorescences, axillary or terminal fascicles, Flowers small; regular; 5 merous; cyclic Calyx: 5 sepals Corolla:5 petals,free, imbricate, pentamerous,appendiculate,caducous Androeceum:10 stamens,2-whorled,forming a tube,free from the perianth Gynoeceum:superiour ovary,3-4 carpelled with same number of locules,usually only one fertile
Systematic remarks
"Bracketed family" in APG II
Leaf characters
Alternate, or opposite (rarely), or spiral; Lamina entire; pinnately veined. Leaves stipulate. Stipules interpetiolar (rarely), or intrapetiolar; often caducous. Lamina margins entire. Leaves without a persistent basal meristem.Petiolate and lanceolate.
Stipules
present
Fruit characters
fleshy and indehiscent drupe,fruit one-seeded, seeds endospermic, or non-endospermic (rarely),not oily
Glands
absent
Hairs
absent
Latex
absent
Uses
Erythroxylum coca, E. novagranatense
Chemical characters
Not cyanogenic. Alkaloids present:cocain is found in the leavesof Erythroxylum coca and E. novagranatense . Iridoids not detected. Proanthocyanidins present; cyanidin. Flavonols present; kaempferol and quercetin. Ellagic acid absent (Erythroxylum). Saponins/sapogenins present, or absent. Aluminium accumulation not found.
Distribution maps
(online von http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb/ . Dort zitiert wie unter jedem Diagramm vermerkt):
Erythroxylaceae
map: from van Steenis and van Balgooy 1966; Heywood 1978
