Family Loganiaceae
Description: Trees, shrubs, woody climbers or herbs; stipules interpetiolar, often reduced to a stipular line, sometimes intrapetiolar.
Leaves usually decussate, simple; margins ± entire.
Inflorescence cymose, sometimes reduced and 1-flowered. Flowers actinomorphic, usually bisexual, or if unisexual then plants dioecious; 5-merous or sometimes 4-merous. Calyx united or free. Corolla united, usually whitish, cream-coloured to yellowish, usually fragrant (sometimes unpleasantly so); lobes valvate, imbricate or contorted in bud. Stamens same number as corolla lobes, inserted on corolla tube; anthers 2-locular, usually basifixed, dehiscence introrse by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior or rarely semi-inferior, 2-locular; ovules 1–many; style usually 1 or rarely 2 (Mitrasacme and Phyllangium).
Fruit capsular, berry-like or drupaceous; seeds 1–many.
Distribution and occurrence: World: 16 genera, c. 460 species, tropical & subtropical, with a few extending to warm temperate regions. Australia: 8 genera, c. 97 species, all States.
External links:
Angiosperm Phylogeny Website (Family: Loganiaceae, Order: Gentianales)
Wikipedia
Text by B. J. Conn, updated by K.L. Gibbons, July 2019.
Taxon concept:
| | Key to the genera | |
| 1 | Herbs | 2 |
| Trees or shrubs | 4 |
| 2 | Calyx, corolla and androecium 4-merous, or calyx absent | 3 |
| Calyx, corolla and androecium 5-merous
Back to 1 | Orianthera |
| 3 | Calyx absent; corolla and capsule enclosed in a two-lobed foliaceous involucre; ovary semi-inferior | Phyllangium |
| Calyx present, involucre absent; ovary superior
Back to 2 | Mitrasacme |
| 4 | Fruit indehiscent, berry-like; leaves with 3–7 veins from the base; axillary spines usually present | Strychnos |
| Fruit a two-valved capsule; leaves penniveined; spines absent
Back to 1 | 5 |
| 5 | Seeds embedded in fleshy placentas; capsules dehiscing almost to base, with valves ± deciduous | Geniostoma |
| Seeds not embedded in fleshy placentas; capsules only dehiscing on distal half, with valves persistent and secondarily separating from apex to base
Back to 4 | 6 |
| 6 | Stamens inserted in middle of corolla tube, anthers included in corolla tube; apex of calyx lobes obtuse; flowers unisexual | Logania |
| Stamens inserted in mouth of corolla tube, anthers exserted from corolla tube; apex of calyx lobes acute; flowers bisexual
Back to 5 | Orianthera |
|
