Antidesma
Source:
SSA
Description:
Trees or shrubs; dioecious. Leaves alternate, large, entire; stipulate. Inflorescence a raceme or spike, often catkin-like, more rarely subpaniculate, sometimes male flowers in a spike and female in a panicle; bracts small, usually ciliate. Petals 0. Male flowers: calyx membranous, small, 3-5(-8)-lobed or -partite, imbricate; disc subentire or consisting of distinct glands; stamens (2)3-5(-10); ovary rudimentary. Female flowers: calyx as in male; disc annular, surrounding base of ovary; ovary 1(2)-locular, with 2 ovules in each locule; styles (2)3(-5), usually bilobed. Fruit a small, often oblique and compressed-ellipsoid, red or black drupe; endocarp hardened. Seeds usually solitary by abortion, ecarunculate; albumen fleshy; cotyledons broad, flat. x = 13 (high polyploidy, B-chromosomes).
Distribution:
Species +/- 200, mostly in warmer parts of Old World; only 7 in Africa; 2 in sthn Afr., mainly Antidesma venosum Tul.; Namibia, Botswana, Northern Province, Mpumalanga, to KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape.