Including Hyperanther(ac)eae Link
Habit and leaf form. Trees (of Acacia-like habit, commonly stout-trunked with gummy bark, and with a large mucilage canal in the centre of the pith); resinous. Leaves deciduous (with deciduous leaflets); alternate; petiolate; non-sheathing; compound; bipinnate to multiply compound (2-3 times pinnate, with opposite leaflets). Lamina cross-venulate. Leaves stipulate, or exstipulate. Stipules when present represented by glands (and similar structures present at the bases of the pinnae).
Leaf anatomy. Mucilaginous epidermis often present. Stomata present; anomocytic. Hairs present; unicellular.
The mesophyll containing calcium oxalate crystals. The mesophyll crystals druses.
Stem anatomy. Secretory cavities present (in the pith); with mucilage. Internal phloem absent. Secondary thickening developing from a conventional cambial ring. `Included' phloem absent. Xylem without fibre tracheids; with libriform fibres. Vessel end-walls simple. Primary medullary rays narrow. Wood ring porous; storied; parenchyma paratracheal (vasicentric or slightly aliform).
Reproductive type, pollination. Hermaphrodite.
Inflorescence, floral, fruit and seed morphology. Flowers aggregated in `inflorescences'; in panicles. The terminal inflorescence unit cymose. Inflorescences axillary; many-flowered axillary panicles. Flowers somewhat irregular, or very irregular; zygomorphic. The floral asymmetry involving the perianth and involving the androecium. Flowers 5 merous; cyclic; pentacyclic. Floral receptacle developing a gynophore. Free hypanthium present (short). Hypogynous disk present (lining the hypanthium); intrastaminal; annular (with a short free margin).
Perianth with distinct calyx and corolla (but the calyx petaloid); 10; 2 whorled; isomerous. Calyx 5 (petaloid); 1 whorled; polysepalous (the sepals spreading or reflexed); unequal but not bilabiate (the sepals unequal); imbricate; with the odd member posterior. Corolla 5; 1 whorled; polypetalous; imbricate; unequal but not bilabiate (with the outer, anterior member the largest, the two inner (upper, posterior) members reflexed and the smallest, the lateral pair ascending); white, or red.
Androecium (7-)10. Androecial members free of the perianth (inserted at the mouth of the hypanthium, around the disk); markedly unequal (declinate); free of one another; 2 - whorled. Androecium including staminodes. Staminodes (3-)5 (the outer, antesepalous whorl); non-petaloid (setiform or resembling antherless filaments). Stamens 5; isomerous with the perianth; oppositisepalous; filantherous (the filaments sometimes slightly petaloid). Anthers declinate; dorsifixed; dehiscing via longitudinal slits; ultimately unilocular; bisporangiate (mostly), or tetrasporangiate (rarely). Microsporogenesis simultaneous. The initial microspore tetrads tetrahedral, or isobilateral, or decussate. Tapetum glandular. Pollen shed as single grains. Pollen grains aperturate; (2-)3(-4) - aperturate; colporate; 2-celled, or 3-celled.
Gynoecium 3. Carpels reduced in number relative to the perianth. Gynoecium syncarpous; eu-syncarpous; superior. Ovary 1 locular; stipitate (curved). Gynoecium stylate. Styles 1 (recurved); apical. Stylar canal present. Stigmas 1; truncate. Placentation parietal. Ovules in the single cavity 40-100 (`many'); pendulous; biseriate; non-arillate; anatropous (the radicle superior); bitegmic; crassinucellate. Outer integument contributing to the micropyle. Embryo-sac development Polygonum-type. Polar nuclei fusing only after one has been fertilized, or fusing simultaneously with the male gamete (?). Antipodal cells formed; 3; not proliferating; very ephemeral. Synergids hooked (with faint filiform apparatus). Endosperm formation nuclear. Embryogeny asterad.
Fruit non-fleshy; dehiscent; a capsule (large, woody, 3-12 angled, unilocular, podlike, torulose, but without a replum). Capsules three valvular (the seeds attached medially along the valves). Fruit elastically dehiscent (explosively). Seeds non-endospermic; large; three winged (usually), or wingless. Embryo well differentiated. Cotyledons 2. Embryo chlorophyllous (1/1); straight. Micropyle zigzag.
Physiology, biochemistry. Mustard-oils present (in myrosin cells). Not cyanogenic. Alkaloids present, or absent. Iridoids absent. Proanthocyanidins absent. Flavonols present; kaempferol and quercetin. Ellagic acid absent. Saponins/sapogenins absent. Aluminium accumulation not found.
Geography, cytology. Holarctic and Paleotropical. Temperate to tropical. Mediterranean and North Africa to Arabia and India, also Southwest africa and Madagascar. X = 14.
Taxonomy. Subclass Dicotyledonae; Crassinucelli. Dahlgren's Superorder Violiflorae; Capparales. Cronquist's Subclass Dilleniidae; Capparales. Takhtajan's Subclass Dilleniidae; Dillenianae; Capparales. Species 12. Genera 1; only genus, Moringa.
Economic uses, etc. Moringa oleifera (horseradish tree) has edible fruits, the seeds supply `oil of ben' used in perfumery and light lubricants, and the roots are a source of edible condiment.
Illustrations. morig235.gif
