Notes on delimitation

Some evidence, including seed coat anatomy, suggests a relationship between Dilleniales and Vitales, but relationships between Dilleniales and Caryophyllales have also been suggested (e.g. D. Soltis et al. 2003a; Soltis et al. 2007a). Horn (2006) lists a number of features suggesting a relationship between Dilleniaceae and Rhabdodendraceae, probably sister to the rest of Caryophyllales (Stevens 2001 onwards).

Distribution in Neotropics

Tetracera is the only genus that occurs in both hemispheres. with 45 species of which ca. 20 occur in the neotropical area. Doliocarpus and Davilla are the largest genera that occur in the neotropical region with ca. 40 species the first and ca. 30 the second. The remaining genera in the neotropical region are : Neodillenia (three species), and Curatella and Pinzona which one species.

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Distinguishing characters (always present)

Dilleniaceae are recognisable by the leaves alternate, rarely opposite, spirally arranged, blades entire or dentate, usually with numerous parallel lateral veins, petiolate, frequently coriaceous and scabrous, with sclerified or silicified simple or fasciculate trichomes, occasionally stellate; stipules absent or, if present, soon deciduous. Flowers actinomorphic or rarely zygomorphic, hypogynous, bisexual or androdioecious. Sepals 2–7(to 14), petals 2–7, free or connate at the base, imbricate, often crumpled in bud, deciduous, Stamens numerous (50-500), centrifugal, free and persistent; connective broadened and sometimes thickened or connective linear; anthers basifixed, opening by longitudinal slits or apical pores. Carpels 1–20, free or connate along the ventral side. Seeds often arillate; endosperm abundant, carnose; embryo small, straight.

Number of genera

Curatella, Davilla, Dillenia, Doliocarpus, Neodillenia, Pinzona, Tetracera

Useful tips for generic identification

Key to Neotropical Genera of Dilleniaceae

1. Erect shrubs to trees up to 15 m tall.........2

2.  Plants not cultived with twisted stems and branches; flowers 0.5-3 cm broad, stamens connective broadened and sometimes thickened; receptacle among carpels absent .. Curatella
2.  Plants cultived without twisted stems and branches; flowers 8-20 cm broad, stamens connective linear; receptacle among carpels present.. Dillenia

1. Scandent to creeping climbers or lianas, or else small erect shrubby generally < 3 m tall .........3

3(1). Carpel 1 per flower..................4

 4(3). Sepals unequal in size, the 2 inner ones larger, covering the fruit entirely; inflorescence in terminal or lateral panicles.. Davilla
 4.  Sepals ± equal in size, never covering the fruit; inflorescence ramiflorous, fasciculate, glomerate, or flowers solitary ...............5

  5(4).Stamens free, not forming a ring around the carpel, aril white.. Doliocarpus
  5. Stamens connate at the base, forming a ring around the carpel, aril red.. Neodillenia

3. Carpels 2–5 per flower..............6

6. Carpels 3–5 per flower; fruits follicles or berries ................7

7. Inflorescence paniculate; connective broadened, fruits follicles, the aril fimbriate or deeply laciniate.. Tetracera
7.  Inflorescence racemose or flowers solitary; connective linear, fruits berries, the aril entire..Neodillenia

6. Carpels 2 per flower; fruits capsules...........8
    8. Carpels free; aril white.. Davilla
    8. Carpels connate ventrally from the base to the apex of the ovary; aril orange.. Pinzona

Notable genera and distinguishing features

Curatella and Pinzona have carpels connate ventrally

Davilla has the sepals unequal, the 2 inner ones larger, covering the fruit

Doliocarpus has the vascular bundles disposed in bands or concentric rings separated by abundant parenchyma; inflorescence ramiflorous; the carpel 1, seed with a white aril.

Neodillenia has sepals 1.5--4 cm long; stamens 100--300 or more, fusioned forming a ring around the carpels; anthers 3--6 mm long, connective linear and; aril red.
Tetracera has inflorescences paniculate; fruits follicles, the aril fimbriate or deeply laciniate.

Status

Curatella (Endemic), Davilla (Endemic), Dillenia (Cultivated), Doliocarpus (Endemic), Neodillenia (Endemic), Pinzona (Endemic), Tetracera (Pantropical)

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General notes

Kubitzki (2004) and Horn (2006) arbitrated placed the genus Neodillenia (Aymard, 1997) inside of the genus Doliocarpus. By its the vascular bundles disposed in bands or concentric rings separated by abundant parenchyma, the connective linear (only in Doliocarpus grandiflorus Eichl. in Mart. and D. magnificus Sleumer), inflorescences  ramiflorous and carpel one (only in Neodillenia venezuelana Aymard) the genus Doliocarpus is similar to the genus Neodillenia. However, Neodillenia has inflorescences ramiflorous, racemes or solitary flowers, flower buds 1--4 long cm, sepals 1.5--4 cm long; stamens 100--300 or more, fusioned forming a ring around the carpels; anthers 3--6 mm long, connective linear, aril red, and carpels 1—5. In the contrast, Doliocarpus has inflorescences always ramiflorous, flower buds ca. 5 mm long, sepals 0.3--1.8 cm long; stamens 25--80, free not forming a ring around the carpels; anthers 2--3 mm long, connective broadened and sometimes thickened; aril white, and carpel always one.

Important literature

Aymard, G. 2003. Dilleniaceae. In: The checklist das Plantas do NordestedoBrasil.Website:/www.cniop.org.br/bdpn/busca_geral.pgh?pagina=1=fan&=59&desc=
Dilleniaceae.
--------------. 2003. A new species of Davilla (Dilleniaceae) amongst the Flora São Paulo, Brazil. Acta Botánica Venezuelica 25(2): 153-159.

--------------. 2003. A new Species of Doliocarpus and a New Species of Tetracera (Dilleniaceae) from Brazil. Novon 13: 1-4.

---------------. & S. A. Mori. 2002. Dilleniaceae (Dillenia Family). Guide to the Vascular Plants of Central French Guiana: part 2 (Dicotyledons). Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 76(2): 247-251.

---------------. 2002. Davilla papyracea (Dilleniaceae) a new species from Brazil. Kew Bull. 57: 487-490.

---------------. & B. Boom. 2002. A new species of Tetracera (Dilleniaceae) from Guyana. Brittonia 54 (4): 275-278.

---------------. & C. Kelloff 2001. DILLENIACEAE. In: T. Hollowell et al. (eds.) Preliminary checklist of the Plants of Guiana Shield (Venezuela; Guyana; Surinam; French Guiana) . Biological Diversity of the Guianas Program Publication Series 57: 75-76. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.

----------------. 2001. Dilleniaceae Novae Neotropicae: XII. Doliocarpus humboldtianus, una nueva especie de la Amazonia Brasilera. BioLlania Edic. Esp. No. 7: 8-12.

----------------. 2000. DILLENIACEAE NOVAE NEOTROPICAE: XI. A new subandean species of Doliocarpus. Brittonia 52(2): 196-199.

---------------. 1999. Dilleniaceae. In: Catalogue of  the vascular plants of Ecuador. P. Jorgensen & S. LeÓn-Yánez. (eds.) Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75: 437-439.

--------------. 1998. For new species of Doliocarpus from Brazil-Amazonian region. Kew Bulletin 53(3):133-140.

-------------- 1998. Dilleniaceae. P. Berry et al. (Eds.) Flora of Venezuelan Guayana. Vol. 4:676-685. Missouri Botanical Garden.

---------------. 1998. Dilleniaceae Novae Neotropicae VIII. Two new species of Davilla from Brazil. Brittonia 50(1):51-55.

---------------. 1997. Dilleniaceae Novae Neotropicae IX. Neodillenia a new genus from Amazon basin. Harvard Papers in Botany 10:121-131.

----------------. & C . Kelloff. 1997. DILLENIACEAE. In: J. Boggan et al. (eds.) Checklist of the Plants of Guyana (Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana). 2nd Edition. Biological Diversity of the Guianas Program Publication Series 30:95-96. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.

----------------. 1997. Dilleniaceae Novae Neotropicae V. El género Doliocarpus en Colombia. Anales Jardín Bot. de Madrid. 55:17-30.

-----------------. 1995. Dilleniaceae Novae Neotropicae IV. Dos nuevas especies y una nueva subespecie del género Doliocarpus. Ernstia 5(1):27-35.

-----------------. 1996. Dilleniaceae Novae Neotropicae VI. A new species of Tetracera from Panama. Novon 6:325-327.

----------------. 1995. Dilleniaceae Novae Neotropicae IV. Dos nuevas especies y una nueva subespecie del género Doliocarpus. Ernstia 5(1):27-35.

---------------. & J. Miller. 1994. Dilleniaceae Novae Neotropicarum III. Sinopsis y Adiciones a las Dilleniaceae del Perú. Candollea 49(1):169-182.

---------------. 1993. Dilleniaceae Novae Neotropicae II. Tres nuevas especies y dos nuevas subespecies del género Doliocarpus. Novon 3(4):317-320.

---------------. & C . Kelloff. 1993. DILLENIACEAE. In: J. Boggan et al. (eds.) Checklist of the Plants of Guyana. Biological Diversity of the Guianas Program 8:. 87.Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.

---------------. 1991. Dilleniaceae Novae Neotropicae. I. Dos nuevas especies y una nueva subespecie de Doliocarpus de la Guayana Venezolana. Ann. Jar. Bot. de Madrid. 49(2):195-200.

---------------. & B. Stergios. 1985. Flora de la Mesa de Cavacas. IV Dicotyledoneae: DILLENIACEAE. Biollania 2:18-22.

Dickison, W. C. 1971. Comparative morphological studies in Dilleniaceae VII. Additional notes on Acrotema. J. Arnold Arbor. 52: 319--330.

----------------. 1970a. Comparative morphological studies in Dilleniaceae V. Leaf anatomy. J. Arnold Arbor. 51:89-98.

----------------. 1970b. Comparative morphological studies in Dilleniaceae. VI. Stamens and young stem. J. Arnold Arbor. 51: 403-416.

1967a. Comparative morphological studies in Dilleniaceae I. Wood anatomy. J. Arnold Arbor. 48: 1--29.

-----------------. 1969. Comparative morphological studies in Dilleniaceae IV. Anatomy of the node and vascularization of the leaf. J. Arnold Arbor. 50: 384--398.

-----------------.1968. Comparative morphological studies in Dilleniaceae. III. The carpels. J. Arnold Arbor. 49: 317--329.

-----------------. 1967b. Comparative morphological studies in Dilleniaceae II. The pollen. J. Arnold Arbor. 48: 231--240.

Gilg, E. 1893. Dilleniaceae. pp. 100--128. in: Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien III(6). Engler, A. and K. Prantl (eds.). Germany.

--------. and E. Werdermann. 1925. Dilleniaceae. Nat. Pflanzenfam. band 21: 7--22.

Horn, J. W. 2006. Dilleniaceae. Pp. 132-154, in Kubitzki, K. (ed.), The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants. Volume IX. Flowering Plants. Eudicots. Berberidopsidales, Buxales, Crossosomatales.... Springer, Berlin.

Kubitzki, K. 2004. DILLENIACEAE. In: Flowering Plants of the Neotropics. 128-130 Pp. N. P. Smith et al. (eds.). Princenton University Press, Princeton. NJ.

-------------. 1981. Zwei neuer Doliocarpus arten aus Venezuela. Mitt. Bot. Staatssmml. München 17: 237--238.

-------------. 1980. Eine neue Davilla art aus Venezuela. Mitt. Bot. Staatssmml. München 16: 501--502.

-------------. 1973. Neue und bemerkenswerte neotropische Dilleniaceen. Mitt. Bot. Staatssmml. München 9: 707--720.

-------------. 1971. Doliocarpus, Davilla, und verwandte Gattungen (Dilleniaceae). Mitt. Bot. Staatssamml. München 9: 1--105.

--------------. 1970. Die gattung Tetracera (Dilleniaceae) Mitt. Bot. Staatssamml. München 8: 1--98.

Soltis, D. E., A. E. Senters, M. J. Zanis, S. Kim, S., J. D. Thompson, P. S. Soltis, L. P. Ronse Decraene, P. K, Endress, & J. S. Farris, J. S. 2003a. Gunnerales are sister to other core eudicots: Implications for the evolution of pentamery. American J. Bot. 90: 461-470.

------------, M. A. Gitzendanner & P. S. Soltis. 2007a. A 567-taxon data set for angiosperms: The challenges posed by Bayesian analyses of large data sets. Int. J. Plant Sci. 168: 137-157.

Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 7, May 2006 http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb/.