Iteaceae

Abstract

Trees and shrubs, sometimes climbing; pith lamellate; axillary buds sometimes superposed. Leaves alternate, glandular-serrate (spiny-dentate in Itea ilicifolia)or rarely entire, pinnately veined; stipules minute, subulate, or 0. Inflorescences many-flowered terminal or axillary panicles or racemes, often superposed in groups of 2 or 3. Flowers small, regular, hermaphrodite or polygamous; sepals 5, basally connate into a short, turbinate or obconic tube adnate to base of ovary, lobes valvate or apert, persistent; petals 5, valvate, persistent; stamens 5, alternating with the petals, insertedat the margin of the annular nectary disk; anthers small, oblong to ovoid, dorsifixed, introrse, at the apex with a globular protrusion of the connective; gynoecium of 2 united carpels, ovary 2-locular, nearly superior to more than 3/4 inferior; style undivided (post-genitally united?)or more or less deeply divided into two stylodia but then, at anthesis, apically coherent with globular stigmas; stigmas capitate, cohering but separating in fruit; ovules numerous on axile placentas, bitegmic and crassinucellate. Fruit a capsule with persistent perianth, dehiscing septicidally; seeds with large, curved embryo surrounded by sparse, fleshy endosperm. n = 11.