SIMAROUBACEAE
Morphological description
Woody, usually non-climbing; plants with bitter taste. Sometimes thorny scramblers (Harrisonia).
Leaves
Leaves spiral; usually exstipulate; leaves glandular. Sometimes leaves simple, fruit flat obcordate (Soulamea); leaves simple, stipule cigar-shaped, leaving annular scar (Irvingia); leaves pinnate with large glands at base of leaflets (Ailanthus);
Inflorescence
Inflorescence.
Flowers
Flowers petals free, ovary superior, disk present; usually (functionally) unisexual; ovary deeply lobed to apocarpous, 1 ovule per cell.
Fruit
Fruit sometimes flat obcordate (Soulamea).
Seed
Seed.
Different from: Meliaceae: stamens mostly united into a tube, plants rarely with bitter taste, ovary not deeply lobed. — Rutaceae: plants aromatic, leaves with pellucid dots.
Distribution: The family pantropical. In Malesia 11 genera, incl.: - Ailanthus (Indo-Australia), trees, lowland and montane rain forest; - Eurycoma (Southeast Asia, West Malesia), treelets, lowland rain forest; - Irvingia (Africa, Southeast Asia, West Malesia), tree, lowland rain forest.
Notes: Irvingia and Suriana are also regarded as families in their own right, Allanto-spermum is also placed in Ixonanthaceae. — Several species used medicinally: Brucea, Eurycoma, Harissonia, Quassia. — Ornamentals: Ailanthus, Quassia. — Timber: Irvingia.
Literature: H.P. Nooteboom, Fl. Males. I, 6 (1962) 193-226, 968-972.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Simaroubaceae 58 - Ailanthus 31, 79, 98 - Allantospermum 99, 101 - Brucea 31 - Eurycoma 10, 42, 57, 78, 79 - Harrisonia 4, 12, 48, 85; H. perforata 40 - Irvingia 33, 36, 68 - Picrasma 37, 42 - Quassia 70, 79, 99; Q. amara 40; Q. indica 31, 78, 98 - Soulamea 31, 79, 98 - Suriana 91.
Illustrations: Fig. 157. Eurycoma longifolia Jack, showing flowering branch and detail of flower. 259 Fig. 158. Irvingia malayana Oliv. & Benn.: a & b. habit; c. flower; d. ovary and disk; e. LS of fruit.
Image in PhytoImages for Simaroubaceae