Two genera of small to large trees or shrubs: Meliosma (65) and Ophiocaryon (7);
Distribution
Throughout the Neotropics, mostly montane;
Floral characters
Inflorescence paniculate; flowers small zygomorphic, whitish or reddish; Sepals 5, persistent, imbricate; Petals 5, the two innermost smaller and free; Stamens 5, only 2 fertile, borne on the two inner petals; the other three are reduced to scales; Disc mostly present; Ovary superior, 2-3-locular, style 1 with lobed stigma, or styles 2-3 with simple stigma; placentation axile; ovules mostly two per locule;
Systematic remarks
Basal Eudicot
Leaf characters
Alternate leaves; Meliosma often with simple leaves (in South and Central America) and usually a serrate leaf margin, thickened petiole base; Ophiocaryon mostly with pinnately compound leaves, often thickened petiole base;
Stipules
absent
Fruit characters
fruit a one-seeded round or obovate but distinctly asymmetric drupe with extremely hard woody endocarp; seed usually black when fresh
Glands
absent
Hairs
present or absent
Latex
absent
Distribution maps
(online von http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb/ . Dort zitiert wie unter jedem Diagramm vermerkt):
Sabiaceae
map: from van Beusekom 1973; Sinimbu, pers. comm. Rafael Sühs
