Families

Magnoliaceae

This magnolia family of the order Magnoliales that contains 12 genera and 220 species, includes many handsome, fragrant-flowering trees and shrubs. Most have simple leaves and an elongated cone-like floral axis with flowers that have six tepals (sepals and petals that are not distinctly different), many spirally arranged stamens, and one, two, or many carpels (female reproductive structures). The seeds of many species hang by threads from the cone-like fruits. In most species the flowers are bisexual and are borne on branch tips. The long floral axis, spiral arrangement of the flower parts, and simple vessels (water-conducting cells) in the wood all mark the family as a primitive one on the evolutionary scale.

Malvaceae

This mallow family, a large group of flowering plants, in the order Malvales, contains about 95 genera and over 1000 species of herbs, shrubs, and trees. Representatives occur in all except the coldest parts of the world but are most numerous in the tropics.  The leaves are alternate, with stipules; often stellate hairs are present.  The flowers are bisexual and regular; with parts usually in fives. The fruit is dry, capsule or schizocarp.  The seeds are often covered in fine hairs and have no endosperm.

Melastomataceae

A relatively large family, the Melastomataceae is composed mainly of shrubs and small trees, but also of a few vines, herbs, marsh plants and, rarely, epiphytes.   It consists of about 240 genera and 3000 species.  The leaves are opposite and decussate but sometimes with one of each pair smaller than the other or rarely alternate by abortion.  The flowers are bisexual; regular and usually have four or five each of sepals and free petals.  The fruit is a berry or loculicidal capsule.  The seeds are small, numerous and lack endosperm.

Meliaceae

This mahogany family of flowering plants, of the order Sapindales, comprised of 51 genera and about 575 species of trees and (rarely) shrubs, native to tropical and subtropical regions. Most members of the family have large compound leaves, with the leaflets arranged in the form of a feather, and branched flower clusters. The flowers are regular, and are usually bisexual, but often unisexual (the sexes bourne on separate plants) although they may appear bisexual. The fruit is fleshy and coloured or a leathery capsule. The seeds are often winged while others have a fleshy aril or fleshy testa; they are with or without endosperm and have a straight or curved embryo.

Menispermaceae

This family comprised of 65 genera and about 350 species of climbing or twining shrubs or occasionally herbs, or very rarely erect shrubs or small trees.  The leaves are alternate, simple or very rarely compound, entire or lobed, often peltate; without stipules.  Flowers are deciduous, small solitary fascicled capitate or cymose or more frequently racemed or panicled, sometimes bracteate, occasionally 3-bracteolate.  The fruit is drupaceous, usually curved, often to horseshoe shape and the endocarp has attractive sculpturing.

Moraceae

The Moraceae, mulberry family of the nettle order (Urticales), with about 40 genera and some 1000 species of deciduous or evergreen trees and shrubs, distributed mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. Plants of the family contain a milky latex and have alternate or opposite leaves and small, petal-less male or female flowers. The fruits of many species are multiple because fruits from different flowers become joined together. The seed is with or without endosperm.

Moringaceae

The Moringaceae is a family of small, quick-growing deciduous trees composed of 12 species in one genus, Moringa.  The very graceful leaves are two or three times pinnate and alternate; stipules may be present or replaced by stipulate glands.  The numerous flowers are irregular, bisexual, sweet-scented, cream or red, and produced in axillary panicles.  The fruit is an elongated pod-like capsule with three valves, and contains many black, rounded, winged or wingless seed without endosperm and a straight embryo.

Myristicaceae

This is the nutmeg family of the magnolia order (Magnoliales), best known for the fragrant, spicy seeds of nutmeg (Myristica fragrans). The family contains 15 other genera and about 380 species of evergreen trees found throughout moist tropical lowlands. Most species have fragrant wood and leaves. The trees, which are often large, have either male or female petal-less flowers, the united sepals of which form a three- to five-lobed funnel or cup. Male flowers have 2 to 20 united stamens; female flowers have a single ovary with one ovule (potential seed). A fleshy covering, known as an aril, surrounds the fluted seed, which has much endosperm (starchy nutritive tissue for the developing embryo). The simple leaves have smooth margins and are alternately arranged along the stem.

Myrsinaceae

The Myrsinaceae is a medium sized family of trees and shrubs, of little economic importance except for a few species grown as ornamentals.  This family comprises of 32 genera and 1000 species.  The leaves are alternate, simple, leathery and without stipules and are usually dotted with glands or conspicuous resin ducts.  The flowers are small, regular, bisexual or unisexual (then with the sexes on separate plants) and are normally borne in fascicles, but they may also be in terminal panicles, corymbs or cymes.  The fruit is a fleshy drupe.  The seeds have a straight or slightly curved embryo and fleshy endosperm.

Myrtaceae

The Myrtaceae is a larger family whose habit ranges from straggling and small shrubs contains about 100 genera and about 3000 species.    The leaves are usually opposite (less often alternate), leathery, evergreen and typically entire, without stipules, and characteristically pellucid-dotted with sub epidermal glands containing oils.  The flowers are regular and bisexual, most frequently in cymose, less often in racemose, inflorescences, rarely solitary; they are generally epigynous, but varying degrees of perigyny are found.  The fruit is usually a fleshy berry (rarely a drupe) or dry (then a capsule or nut).  There is little or no endosperm.