Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Terrestrial, hemiparasitic shrubs or trees.

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple or sometimes reduced to scales or caducous (Exocarpos). Alternate or opposite. Blades usually thick and leathery. Margins entire. Petiolate (when fully developed leaves present). Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in terminal and ± axillary, compound cymes (santalum) or spikes (exocarpos). Flowers bisexual (perfect) or unisexual (and then plants monoecious or dioecious), actinomorphic; Intrastaminal nectary disk commonly seated on the ovary or lining lower part of corolla tube. Calyx (sepals) absent. Corolla of 4–5(6) petals; petals green to yellowish brown or red, often thick and fleshy, valvate or slightly imbricate in bud, distinct or connate, often forming a short corolla tube. Stamens as many as corolla lobes, adnate to the corolla and inserted near the base and opposite each lobe; anthers dithecal, opening lengthwise. Ovary inferior, partly inferior, or superior, 2–4(5)-carpellate, 1-celled or partitioned only at base; ovule placentation free-central; style 1.

Fruit: Drupes green or bluish turning black; fleshy. Seeds solitary; seed coat undifferentiated; endosperm copious and oily.

Ploidy:

Habitat:

Elevation Range: