OXALIDACEAE
Morphological description
Woody usually. Sometimes herbs with underground tubers, leaves digitately compound (Oxalis); subshrubs with paripinnate leaves (Biophytum); mature trunk deeply fluted (some Sarcotheca)
Leaves
Leaves usually compound, spiral, stipules absent. Sometimes leaves digitately compound (Oxalis); paripinnate leaves (Biophytum);
Inflorescence
Inflorescence.
Flowers
Flower actinomorphic; petals free; stamens 10, filaments connate at base; ovary superior, 5-locular, 5 styles.
Fruit
Fruit.
Seed
Seed arillate.
Different from: Connaraceae: ovary 1-locular. — Linaceae: leaves simple, the climbing species provided with hooks.
Distribution: World-wide, mainly tropics; in Malesia 5 genera, incl.: - Sarcotheca (W Malesia, Sulawesi), shrubs or trees, primary and secondary forest.
Notes: Fruits of Averrhoa and some Sarcotheca edible. — Origin of Averrhoa unknown, presumably Southeast Asia, but not found wild.
Literature: J.F. Veldkamp, Fl. Males. I, 7 (1971) 151-178.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Oxalidaceae 84, 104 - Averrhoa 70; A. carambola 99 - Biophytum 41 - Dapania 38 - Oxalis 48 - Sarcotheca 38, 48.
Illustrations: Fig. 126. Sarcotheca glauca (Hook. f.) Hall. f.: a. inflorescence, b. leaf; c. flower; d. stamens and ovary; e. fruit.
Image in PhytoImages for Oxalidaceae