Thulin, M. (1993) Flacourtiaceae in Flora of Somalia 1:203-207
Plants trees, shrubs, or shrublets, sometimes armed with spines, bisexual or unisexual. Leaves alternate, usually with stipules; blades simple, entire to crenate or serrate. Inflorescences usually flower clusters, racemes, or panicles, sometimes of solitary flowers, bisexual or unisexual. Flowers 3-polymerous or perianth absent, perianth segments spirally arranged or in whorls; sepals usually (0, 2-)3-7, imbricate or valvate, free or connate at the base; petals (0)3-8, imbricate or valate, free; stamens 5-many, usually free; ovaries superior, 1-celled, with (2-)3-5(-8) pariental placentas; styles 1-10, free or connate. Fruits usually fleshy or dry berries or capsules, ararely drupes, 1-many-seeded; seeds sometimes with arils, sometimes with tufts of hair, always with endosperms; embryos straight.
The Salicaceae now includes the family which is treated as Flacourtiaceae in the Flora of Somalia. The combined family is called Salicaceae because that is the older name. All the genera in the Somaliland and Somalia belong to the old Flacourtiaceae. The expanded Salicaceae includes about 85 genera and 1100 species. The old iSalicaceae grew mostly in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere whereas the Flacourtiaceae was pantropical so combining the two gives the new family a much wider distribution.
