Trees or shrubs, sometimes with distinctly sympodial branches or thorns;
Distribution
pantropical, especially in wet lowland forests
Floral characters
Inflorescences determinate, usually fasciculate, sometimes reduced to a single flower, axillary. Flowers bisexual, radial. Sepals 4-8, sometimes dimorphic, distinct or connate basally. Petals 4-8, connate, sometimes with paired petaloid appendages, imbricate. Stamens 8-16 and opposite the petals, usually alternating with staminodes. Carpels 2 to numerous, connate, ovary superior.
Leaf characters
Leaves alternate,, sometimes distinctly clustered at shoot apices, simple, entire, with pinnate venation
Stipules
present or absent
Fruit characters
Fruit a berry; seeds usually with a hard shiny testa and large hilum.
Glands
present
Hairs
present, 2-branched, brownish, t-shaped, but one arm often reduced
Latex
present, latex white
Uses
Manilkara zapota (sapodilla), Pouteria mammosa (mamey sapote), Pouteria campechiana (eggfruit) and Chrysophyllum cainito (star apple) provide delicious tropical fruits.
Chemical characters
silica bodies often present with tannins,often triterpenoids and cyanogenic compounds; with well-developed, elongate laticifers.
Distribution maps
(online von http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb/ . Dort zitiert wie unter jedem Diagramm vermerkt):
