Rhamnaceae
Trees or shrubs, very rarely herbs, sometimes spiny, sometimes lianoid. Lvs simple, mostly alternate, mostly stipulate. Fls usually in cymes, sometimes in fascicles or panicles, small, perigynous, usually ⚥, occasionally unisexual. Calyx 4-5-lobed, tubular. Petals 3-5 or 0, inserted at mouth of calyx tube, often forming a hood over stamens. Stamens 4-5, antipetalous. Disc on calyx tube fleshy, intrastaminal. Ovary superior but sometimes partly immersed in disc, 2-4-celled; ovules 1-(2), erect from the base. Style shortly lobed. Fr. usually a drupe, sometimes a capsule, sometimes winged. Seed with large straight embryo and with or without endosperm.
Key
55-58 genera, c. 900 spp., temperate and tropical regions.
In addition to the genera treated below, several others are cultivated in N.Z. The most important is Ceanothus L. of which various spp. and hybrids are abundant in parks and gardens and have been used in soil stabilisation trials. They are easily distinguished by their blue or purplish (occasionally pink or white) fls aggregated in small dense panicles. Colletia Comm. is related to the indigenous Discaria. The usual sp. cultivated is C. cruciata Hook., anchor plant, from S. America; this has striking, broadly flattened, very coriaceous and spiny branchlets arranged in opposite pairs.
