CELASTRACEAE
Morphological description
Woody. Pneumatophores (Lophopetalum); lianas (Celastrus, Hippocratea, Reissantia, Salacia);
Leaves
Leaves simple, usually pale grey-green in herbarium; leaves opposite, dentate; stipules small, caduceus. Sometimes petiole bipulvinate and scalariform venation (Bhesa). Sometimes ovary many-celled (Siphonodon)
Flowers
Flower usually petals free; ovary 2-5-celled disk present, distinct (except in Microtropis); stamens isomerous, opposite the sepals; ovary superior.
Fruits
Fruit capsular.
Seeds
Seeds arillate. Sometimes seeds winged (Kokoona, Lophopetalum)
Different from: Aquifoliaceae: disk absent, stigma broad, sessile; fruit a drupe with 3 or more pyrenes. —Flacourtiaceae: leaves spiral, ovary 1-locular, parietal placentation. — Rhamnaceae: leaves rarely opposite; stamens opposite the petals.
Distribution: The family pantropical, some species reaching the temperate zone. In Malesia 17 genera, incl.: - Euonymus (widespread), shrubs or trees, lowland and montane rain forest; - Lophopetalum (Indo-Australia), trees, lowland dry and swamp forest; - Salacia (pantropical), lianes, mostly lowland rain forest.
Notes: Limited use of timber: Kokoona, Lophopetalum, Siphonodon. — Fruits and seeds of many species eaten by birds and mammals.
Literature: Ding Hou, Fl. Males. I, 6 (1962) 227-291; ibid. I, 6 (1964) 389-421.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Celastraceae leaf with domatia (p.p.), leaf margin dentate/ serrate (p.p.), stamens with appendages, seeds arillate; Bhesa stipules striate, petiole swollen apically,venation scalariform; Celastrus climbers without hooks/tendrils, three-locular capsule; Euonymus climbers without hooks/tendrils (p.p.), climbers with opposite leaves (p.p.), broken leaves with white thread, corolla/petals fimbriate or bifid (p.p.), fruit spiny or muricate (p.p.); Glyptopetalum petiole wrinkled (p.p.), inflorescence supra-axillary ;Kokoonastigma broad sessile, three-locular capsule, seeds winged; Loeseneriella climbers without hooks/tendrils, seeds winged; Lophopetalum glands on petiole or lamina,corolla/petals fimbriate or bifid (p.p.), three-locular capsule, seeds winged; L. sessilifolium stem flanged; Maytenus three-locular capsule; Microtropis twigs white, petiole black, inflorescence supra-axilarry (p.p.); M. kinabaluensis wrinkled petiole; Perrottetia glands on petiole or lamina; Pleurostylia style excentric; Reissantia three-locular capsule, seeds winged; Salacia climbers without hooks/tendrils, climbers with opposite leaves (p.p.), dried plants resinous (p.p.), wrinkled petiole (p.p.),flowers 3-merous (p.p.), fruit woody, seeds scattered (p.p.); S. macrophylla leaf with dots ; S. papuana plants with white or yellow sap; Sarawakodendron dried plants resinous, inflorescence a condensed raceme, seeds comose; Siphonodon cauliflorous, fruit woody, seeds scattered.
Illustrations: Fig. 25. Lophopetalum beccarianum Pierre: a. habit; flower bud; c. flower from above; d.LS of flower (petals removed); e. CS of fruit; f. seed; g. flower, speals and petlas removed. & Fig. 26. Salacia maingayi Laws.: a. branch; b. flower; c. CS of flower. Hippocrateaceae| Siphonodontaceae|Ding Hou, Fl. Males. I, 6 (1962) 227-291; ibid. I, 6 (1964) 389-421.
Images in PhytoImages for Celastraceae.