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Simmondsiaceae Habit: Shrub, evergreen, much-branched; dioecious. Stem: bark smooth. Leaf: opposite, simple, leathery; base jointed; stipules 0. Inflorescence: staminate flowers in axillary clusters, pistillate generally 1. Flower: small, radial; sepals generally 5, overlapped, becoming larger in pistillate, disk 0; corolla 0; stamens 8--12, free, anthers elongate with longitudinal slits; ovary superior, chambers 3, styles 3, stigmas long, +- not persistent in fruit. Fruit: capsule, loculicidal. Seed: 1. Genera In Family: 1 genus, 1 sp.: southwestern United States, Mexico. Note: Recently shown (e.g., Carlquist 2002) to be not closely related to Buxaceae, in which it was sometimes placed; 2° growth unusual, produced by successive cambia. Jepson eFlora Author: Robert E. Preston & William J. Stone Reference: Carlquist 2002 Madroño 49:158--164 Scientific Editor: Thomas J. Rosatti. Index of California Plant Names (ICPN; linked via the Jepson Online Interchange) Previous taxon: Castela emoryi Next taxon: Simmondsia |