Clutia L.

Named for Outger Cluyt, a 16th century Dutch botanist.

Herbs, shrubs or small trees,male and female flowers on the same plant or on separate plants, perennial; stems and foliage without latex. Indumentum of simple, multicellular hairs. Stipules entire, inconspicuous or absent, soon shed. Leaves alternate, stalked, unlobed, penninerved, without glands; margins entire. Inflorescences axillary; male inflorescences comprising many-flowered fascicles; female inflorescences comprising few-flowered fascicles or flowers solitary. Male flowers stalked; calyx lobes overlapping, 5, basally fused; petals overlapping, 5; disk of numerous glands; stamens 5, filaments fused into column. Female flowers stalked; calyx lobes 5, overlapping; petals 5, overlapping; disk of numerous glands; ovary 3-chambered, ovules 1 per chamber; styles free or basally fused, divided into 2. Fruits capsular, dehiscent, 3-lobed, surface smooth. Seeds ovoid; carunculate, non-arilloid.

About 70 species in Africa and Arabia. 1 species is occasionally cultivated.

Cuttings or seeds.

Male flowers with calyx lobes overlapping, 5, basally fused; petals overlapping, 5; disk of numerous glands; stamens 5, filaments fused into column. Female flowers with calyx lobes 5, overlapping; petals 5, overlapping; disk of numerous glands; styles free or basally fused, divided into 2.

Radcliffe-Smith (1987, 1996).

Source: Forster, P. (2002). Euphorbiaceae. 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.

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kingdom Plantae
phylum   Tracheophyta
class    Magnoliopsida
superorder     Rosanae
order      Malpighiales
family       Euphorbiaceae
Higher taxa
Subordinate taxa
species         Clutia pulchella L.