Staphyleaceae

Bladder-nut Family

Trees or shrubs. Leaves opposite or alternate, pinnate or of 1 or 3 leaflets, the leaflets usually toothed; stipules absent or soon shed. Flower clusters mostly pendulous. Flowers mostly bisexual, regular, 5-parted. Sepals sometimes united. Petals above an annular nectary disk. Ovary superior, of 2-4 united carpels, each chamber with 6-12 ovules with axile placentation. Fruit a drupe, berry or inflated capsule, each chamber usually with 1-2 seeds.

A small family with no obvious affinities.

5 genera and 27 species from temperate and tropical areas of Malaysia to Eurasia and America.

A few species have medicinal properties.

Leaves mostly opposite and compound; styles more than 1; ovary superior; fruit an inflated capsule.

Source: Spencer, R. (2002). Staphyleaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 3. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 2. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.

Hero image
kingdom Plantae
phylum   Tracheophyta
class    Magnoliopsida
superorder     Rosanae
order      Crossosomatales
Higher taxa
Subordinate taxa
genus        Staphylea L.