Ternstroemiaceae

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Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Ternstroemiaceae (or Theaceae) (from the genus Ternstroemia, in honor of Ternstroem, a Swedish naturalist and traveler who died in 1745). Tea Family. Fig. 38. Large or small trees, with alternate, entire, leathery leaves: flowers solitary or scattered, usually bisexual, regular; sepals 5-7, imbricated, persistent; petals 5,rarely 4 or more, nearly or quite separate; stamens very many, rarely 15 or fewer, usually hypogynous, separate or united at the base, or in 5 fascicles, usually adnate to the corolla below; ovary superior, 2-10-celled; ovules 1 to many in each cavity; styles as many as the cells of the ovary, or united into one: fruit a capsule or indehiscent, dry or drupaceous; embryo more or less curved. In this family are 16 genera and 174 species of tropical and subtropical distribution. Stuartia reaches Virginia and Kentucky, and Gordonia reaches Virginia. This family is related to the Hypericaceae and Guttiferae, also to the Dilleniaceae. From it are now usually excluded several genera which were formerly included. Of importance to us in this connection are Actinidia (transferred to the Dilleniaceae), and Stachyurus (transferred to the Stachyuraceae). The very numerous stamens, the type of ovary and the curved embryo are distinctive. The numerous stamens have probably been produced by the splitting up of one set of 5, as in the Hypericaceae. Various glucosides and alkaloids are found in the foliage, on account of which Gordonia has been used for tanning leather, and other species have been used in medicine. The most important species is Thea chinensis (tea). The bitter taste of tea is largely due to a glucoside, and the stimulating properties to an alkaloid, theine. Exclusive of Actinidia and Stachyurus, 8 or 10 genera are in cultivation in N. America. Stuartia and Gordonia (Loblolly Bay) are hardy. Visnea, Ternstroemia and Cleyera are grown in Florida. Eurya and Schima are Camellia-like warmhouse shrubs. Camellia (Thea) is a famous genus of old-fashioned greenhouse shrubs. CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

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