Elaeodendron

Elaeodendron australe

Elaeodendron is a plant genus of the family of spindle tree family ( Celastraceae ).

Description

Elaeodendron species are hairless trees or shrubs. The leaves are opposite, nearly opposite or alternate, are entire, toothed, notched or studded with spines.

The inflorescence is achselbürtig and sympodial. The flowers are bisexual or unisexual ( dioecious, monoecious or polygamous ) and three-to fünfzählig, the discus is ring-shaped, fleshy, entire, and four to fünfwinklig or -lobed.

The anthers open away along the center of the flower or away from it, the ovary is two to vierfächrig, for each subject there are two upright ovules.

The fruit is an elliptical or spherical, fleshy or leathery drupe containing one or two (rarely three) seeds. The seeds are elliptic or ovate, flattened or triangular in shape and rich in protein. The chromosome number is 2n = 34

Dissemination

The genus is native to the West Indies, Africa, Madagascar, India, Macaronesia, and Australia, where it occurs in forests, Woodlands and undergrowth.

System

The genus includes about 40 species, including:

• Elaeodendron buchananii ( Del. ) Loes. ; they occur in tropical Africa
• Elaeodendron xylocarpum ( Vent. ) DC. ; it occurs in Mexico and Central America to Venezuela.

Evidence

• M. P. Simmons: Celastraceae. In: Klaus Kubitzki (ed.): The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants - Volume VI - Flowering Plants - Dicotyledons - Celastrales, Oxalidales, Rosales, Cornales, Ericales. 2004, pp. 29-64