Spermatophyta: Dicotyledonae: Archichlamydeae: Rosales

Rhamnaceae - Buffalo-thorn family

Drummond, R.B. (1966) Rhamnaceae Flora Zambesiaca 2(2)

Description of the family

Trees, shrubs, suffrutices or lianes; branches sometimes with coiled tendrils (Gouania and Helinus). Stipules present, sometimes spiny. Leaves alternate (sometimes opposite or subopposite) or fasciculate, simple. Flowers bisexual or rarely unisexual, actinomorphic. Sepals (4-)5. Petals (4-)5 or 0. Disk usually present and well-developed. Ovary superior, subinferior or inferior, 2-4-locular. Fruit a drupe, capsule or schizocarp.

Worldwide: 49 genera and 900 species, cosmopolitan, but especially in tropical and warm areas.

Zimbabwe: 8 cultivated genera and 9 cultivated taxa.

Ziziphus mauritiana

Links to cultivated genera:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

GenusContent
Alphitonia Reissek ex Endl.Description
Berchemia Neck. ex DC.Description
Ceanothus L.Description
Colletia Comm. ex Juss.
Gouania Jacq.Description, Image
Hovenia Thunb.Description
Maesopsis Engl.Description
Ziziphus Mill.Description, Image

Other sources of information about Rhamnaceae:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Rhamnaceae
Flora of Caprivi: Rhamnaceae
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Rhamnaceae
Flora of Malawi: Rhamnaceae
Flora of Mozambique: Rhamnaceae
Flora of Zambia: Rhamnaceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: Rhamnaceae

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Rhamnaceae
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Rhamnaceae
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Rhamnaceae
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Rhamnaceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Rhamnaceae
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Rhamnaceae
JSTOR Plant Science: Rhamnaceae
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Rhamnaceae
Wikipedia: Rhamnaceae
Plants of the World Online: Rhamnaceae
Tropicos: Rhamnaceae



Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Zimbabwe: Cultivated plants: Family page: Rhamnaceae.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/cult/family.php?family_id=195, retrieved 19 March 2024

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