RUTACEAE
Morphological description
Woody; exstipulate, pellucid dots in leaves (rarely hardly visible). Usually non-climbing, plants aromatic. Sometimes runk or stem spiny (Citrus, Luvunga, Toddalia, Zanthoxylum); sometimes shrubs, leaves simple with stellate indumentum (Lunasia).
Leaves
Leaves usually compound. Sometimes leaves simple with stellate indumentum (Lunasia).
Inflorescence
Inflorescence.
Flowers
Flowers petals free, disk present; ovary superior, 4- or more-locular. Usually hermaphroditic; stigma capitate.
Fruit
Sometimes fruits and seeds winged (Tetractomia).
Seed
Seed: embryo with folded cotyledons (Micromelum).
Different from: Burseraceae: no pellucid dots, plants resinous. — Meliaceae: rarely pellucid dots, stamens united in a tube. — Simaroubaceae: no pellucid dots, carpels usually free.
Distribution: The family widespread, best represented in the tropics. In Malesia 39 genera, incl.: - Acronychia (Indo-Australia), trees, shrubs, lowland and montane rain forest; - Citrus (Indo-Malesia, China), shrubs, treelets; lowland rain forest, often planted; - Glycosmis (Indo-Malesia), shrubs, lowland rain forest, also on limestone; - Melicope (Mascarenes to Polynesia), treelets; lowland and montane rain forest, also secondary forest; - Zanthoxylum (paleotropical), climbers, trees; lowland primary and secondary rain forest, monsoon forest.
Notes: Rutaceae occur in a wide range of habitats, including very dry regions and high in the montains. — Many species useful to man: edible fruits: Aegle, Citrus, Fortunella, Limonia; medicinal: Ruta*; spices: Citrus, Clausena, Murraya, Zanthoxylum; ornamentals: Murraya, Skimmia*; timber: Flindersia, Zanthoxylum.
Literature: . Swingle, The Citrus Industry (1943); B.C. Stone, Tree Fl. Mal. 1 (1972) 367-387; D.T. Jones, Tree Fl. Sabah & Sarawak 1 (1995) 351-419. — Dr. T. G. Hartley (CANB) is revising the family.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Rutaceae 41, 58, 59, 84 - Acronychia 38, 48, 49 - Aegle 12, 94 - Atalantia 12, 38 - Boeninghausenia 50 - Burkillanthus 12, 40, 48, 94 - Citrus 12, 38, 40 - Evodia 38, 40, 48, 49, 70 - Evodiella 38, 49 - Fagara 40 - Feronia 94; F. elephanthum 12, 40 - Feroniella lucida 12 - Flindersia 25, 38, 49, 95, 102 - Geyera 38 - Glycosmis 55 - Halfordia 46 - Hesperethusa 40; H. crenulata 12 - Limonia 40 - Lunasia amara 25, 26 - Luvunga 4, 12 - Maclurodendron 38 - Melicope 38, 48, 49 - Merope 12 - Merrillia 40, 94 - Microcitrus 38 - Monanthocitrus 12 - Paramignya 12, 38 - Pleiospermium 12, 40 - Severinia 67 - Tetractomia 14, 38, 48, 52, 98, 102 - Toddalia 4, 12, 40 - Triphasia 12 - Zanthoxylum 4, 12, 38, 40, 85; Z. ovalifolium 48.
Illustrations: Fig. 145. Maclurodendron porteri (Hook. f.) Hartley: a. branch; b. flowerbud; c. staminate flower; d. carpellate flower; e. fruit (Courtesy Gardens Bull. Singapore). Fig. 146. Paramignya longispina Hook. f.
Image in PhytoImages for Rutaceae