Leeaceae

Abstract

Trees, shrubs, scramblers, or large perennial herbs;stems unarmed or with rows of prickles; tendrils 0. Leaves 1-4-pinnate to trifoliate or simple;stipules sheathing the petiole margins with conspicuous, persistent or caducous stipular wings; leaflets glabrous to pubescent with simple hairs, crenate to serrate to dentate at margin, teeth with small glandular apex, lower surface usually with specialized multicellular, stellate or globular caducous “pearl” glands. In florescence paniculate, often corymbiform, terminal or axillary, erect or pendulous. Flowers hermaphroditic, 5(4)-merous; calyx campanulate with triangular lobes and glandular tips;petals valvate, apically often cucullate, reflexed at anthesis, basally connate, adnate to staminal tissue and the lower portion of floral disc; floral disc tubular, intrastaminal;stamens 5 or 4, antepetalous, alternating with the lobes of floral disc, anthers tetrasporangiate and 2-locular, introrse and sometimes appearing extrorse;ovary superior but sometimes partly sunken in the disc, 2-3(-5)-carpellate but with a secondary septum in each carpel and 4-6(-10)-locular;ovule 1 per locule, anatropous, bitegmic and crassinucellate; style elongate;stigma discoid and capitate. Fruit aberry, ratherdry, subglobose, purple, black or orange;seeds endotestal;endosperm ruminate with roughly 5 ingrowths;embryo linear. 2n=24 or 48 (rarely 20, 22, or 28).