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Santalaceae
Alternative names: Not Applicable
Description:
Shrubs or trees, glabrous, usually parasitic on the roots of other plants; leaves opposite or alternate, entire, often reduced to scales, exstipulate.
Flowers small, bisexual or unisexual, regular; perianth in 1 whorl, petaloid, of 3-5 small fleshy valvate segments; stamens as many as the segments and opposite them; ovary usually inferior, 1-celled, with 1-5 ovules hanging from a free central placenta; style simple or sometimes wanting; ovules without an outer covering and sometimes obscure; when the ovary is inferior it is surmounted by the more or less flat disk in the centre of the perianth segments, when it is half-inferior the campanulate receptacular tube bears the 4 protruding lobes of the disk inside the perianth-segments.
Fruit a drupe or nut.
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Distribution:
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About 30 genera and 400 species in tropical and temperate regions; 10 genera in Australia.
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Biology:
No text
Key to Genera:
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1. Leaves on mature shoots minute to 0.7 cm long, almost always alternate |
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3. Flowers in short racemes or spikes; each flower with 1 deciduous bract |
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LEPTOMERIA 4. |
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3. Flowers clustered or single along branches; each flower with 3-10 persistent bracts |
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CHORETRUM 2. |
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4. Female flowers often solitary; male flowers 1-3 in clusters; bisexual flowers 0 (NW region only) |
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ANTHOBOLUS 1. |
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4. Female, male and bisexual flowers in small axillary spikes or clusters (widespread) |
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EXOCARPOS 3. |
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1. Leaves at least 1.5 cm long, almost always opposite |
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SANTALUM 5. |
Author:
Prepared by J.P. Jessop
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