Ebenaceae - Ebony family

Trees, shrubs or suffrutices. Stipules 0. Leaves simple, usually alternate (sometimes opposite, subopposite or whorled in some spp. of Euclea) and entire. Flowers actinomorphic, hypogynous, unisexual but usually with the rudiments of the other sex present, 3-8-merous. Calyx gamosepalous, persistent in fruit, in Diospyros usually accrescent. Corolla gamopetalous. Stamens 3-100 or more. Ovary with 2-8 carpels, each carpel with 2 ovules. Fruit usually a berry.

Worldwide: 2 genera and 485 species, mostly tropical and warm areas with a few temperate species.

Caprivi: 2 genera and 9 taxa.