MALPIGHIACEAE
Morphological description
Woody, climbing. Sometimes a shrub (Brachylophon).
Leaves
Leaves simple, opposite, balance (T) hairs; usually entire, stipulate, glands on petiole, lamina.
Flowers
Flower sepals 5; petals 5, free; stamens 10; ovary superior. Usually glands on calyx; petals unguiculate; styles 3.
Fruit
Fruit winged. Sometimes fruit not winged (Brachylophon).
Different from: Climbing Verbenaceae: gamosepalous, gamopetalous. - Climbing Combretaceae: exstipulate, no glands, ovary inferior.
Distribution: The family pantropical. In Malesia 5 native genera,including : - Hiptage (Indo-Malesia), mostly open places, lowland; - Rhyssopterys (New Caledonia to East Malesia and Taiwan), rain forest (edges), lowland.
Notes: Ornamental plants: Malpighia*, Tristellateia. - Edible fruits: Malpighia glabra*.
Literature: M. Jacobs, Fl. Males. I, 5 (1954) 125-145.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Malpighiaceae 28 - Aspidopteris 5, 6, 23, 98 - Brachylophon 99 - Hiptage 5, 6, 31, 81, 98 - Malpighia 12, 81 - Rhyssopterys 5, 6, 31, 85, 98 - Tristellateia 5, 6, 31, 98.
Illustrations: Fig. 109. Rhyssopterys tiliaefolia (Vent.) Juss. (Malpighiaceae). a. Flowering branch left beneath with very young fruits; b. hermaphrodite flower; c. the same, showing calyx and styles; d. two fully developed samaras, attached to their carpophores, and an abortive one; e. cordate leaf. Reproduced from Flora Malesiana I, 5 (1955) 141, fig. 12a-c, e, f.
Image in PhytoImages for Malpighiaceae