This section is from the book "A Manual of Materia Medica and Pharmacology", by David M. R. Culbreth. Also available from Amazon: Manual of Materia Medica and Pharmacology.
Zygophyllaceae. Distinguished by flowers bearing a fleshy disk, white, red, yellow, sepals 5, free, glandless; composed of 20 genera, 150 species. Guaiacum (Guajacum).
Rutaceae. Distinguished by leaves being exstipulate, dotted, petals imbricated, ovary sessile, surrounded at base by fleshy, glandular disk, or elevated on gynophore; composed of 110 genera, 880 species. Xanthoxylum, Pilocarpus, Barosma, Citrus.
Simarubaceae. Distinguished from Rutaceae by leaves being exstipulate, without glands or dots, disk conspicuous, ovary stalked; composed of 30 genera, 112 species. Picrasma, Quassia.
Burseraceae. Distinguished by secreting a resinous or gum-resinous juice, leaves compound, dotted, disk and stamens perigynous, ovary superior; composed of 26 genera, 150 species. Commiphora.
Polygalaceae. Distinguished by flowers being irregular, papilionaceous, stamens monadelphous, sepals 5, of which 2 inner are winglike, petaloid; composed of 10 genera, 150 species. Polygala.
Euphorbiaceae. Distinguished by milky, acrid juice, flowers unisexual, apetalous, fruit tricoccous, 3-6-seeded capsule, radical superior; composed of 210 genera, 4000 species. Croton, Ricinus, Stillingia.
Sapindaceae. Distinguished by flowers being unsymmetrical, hypogynous, leaves compound, sepals and petals on a fleshy, glandular disk; composed of 120 genera, 1000 species. Paullinia.
Rhamnaceae. Distinguished by its spiny habit, perigynous stamens, concave petals, non-caducous, valvate sepals, fruit not a berry; composed of 45 genera, 575 species. Rhamnus.
Malvaceae. Distinguished by stamens monadelphous, anthers 1-celled, leaves often downy, palmate-divided; flowers showy, purple, yellow, white; composed of 40 genera, 800 species. Althaea, Gossypium.
Sterculiaceae. Distinguished by flowers being regular or irregular, petals sometimes absent, filaments usually monadelphous, anthers 2-celled; composed of 49 genera, 730 species. Theobroma.
Theaceae (Ternstroemiaceae). Distinguished by sepals distinct, endosperm little or none, leaves alternate, flowers large, solitary, sepals 5, petals 5, hypogynous, ovary 2-several-celled, fruit 2-3-celled, woody capsule; composed of 16 genera, 160 species. Thea.
Guttiferae. Distinguished by yielding a resinous juice, stamens distinct, monadelphous or polyadelphous, flowers unisexual or polygamous, leaves coriaceous; composed of 24 genera, 340 species. Garcinia.
Thymelaeaceae. Distinguished by calyx being petaloid, 4-5 imbricated lobes, stamens perigynous, radical superior, ovary 1-celled, fruit drupe; composed of 37 genera, 425 species. Daphne.
Lythracae (Punicaceae). Distinguished by calyx lobes being valvate, petals wrinkled, leaves exstipulate, stamens perigynons, inserted below the petals; eomposed of 21 genera, 350 species. Punica.
Myrtaceae. Distinguished by numerous stamens, leaves exstipulate, opposite, dotted, with marginal vein, ovary inferior; composed of 76 genera, 2700 species. Melaleuca (Cajuputi), Eugenia, Pimenta, Eucalyptus.
Umbelliferae. Distinguished by the 2-celled ovary forming a cremocarp, with vittae (oil-tubes), flowers in umbels, stems hollow, ovary inferior, crowned with fleshy disk; composed of 170 genera, 1600 species. Petroselinum, Pimpinella, Foeniculum, Carum, Coriandrum, Ferula.
 
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