4. Xylosma G. Forster, Fl. Ins. Austr. 72. 1786.
[name conserved]
[Greek xylon, wood, and osme, odor, alluding to fragrant wood of some Pacific species]
Robert W. Kiger
Shrubs [trees], often ± heterophyllous, not clonal; branching sympodial. Stems usually spinose, sometimes unarmed, spines simple and/or compound. Leaves usually persistent, sometimes ± deciduous (sometimes congested at apices of relatively short lateral branches); stipules absent; petiole not glandular. Inflorescences axillary, fasciculate [racemose], 1 or 2 per axil. Pedicels articulate. Flowers: sepals 4-6 (± persistent, connate proximally, imbricate); disc lobed (lobes extrastaminal, ± confluent [distinct]); stamens [8-]16-24[-50+] (usually exserted); filaments distinct; ovary 2- or 3-carpellate; style indistinct [relatively short]; stigmas 2 or 3, expanded, obcompressed, ± lobed. Fruits baccate. Seeds: aril absent. x = 10.
Species 80-90 (1 in the flora): Texas, Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, se Asia, Pacific Islands.
SELECTED REFERENCES Kiger, R. W. 2001. Xylosma. In: R. McVaugh and W. R. Anderson, eds. 1974+. Flora Novo-Galiciana: A Descriptive Account of the Vascular Plants of Western Mexico. 8+ vols. Ann Arbor. Vol. 3, pp. 328-334. Sleumer, H. 1980b. Xylosma. In: Organization for Flora Neotropica. 1968+. Flora Neotropica. 98+ nos. New York. No. 22, pp. 128-182.
