Shrubs or trees, polygamomonoecious. Branchlets terete. Leaves persistent, alternate; stipules present; petiole present; blade margins entire or serrate; venation pinnate. Inflorescences axillary, cymes or flowers solitary. Flowers bisexual and unisexual, radially symmetric; perianth and androecium hypogynous; hypanthium absent; sepals 5, distinct; petals 5, white or greenish white; nectary intrastaminal, annular, fleshy. Bisexual flowers: stamens 5, free and inserted under nectary; staminodes 0; pistil 2–4-carpellate; ovary superior, immersed in and adnate to nectary, 2–4-locular, placentation axile; style 1; stigmas 2–4; ovules 1–2 per locule. Staminate flowers: stamens 5, free from and inserted under nectary; staminodes 0; pistillode present. Pistillate flowers: staminodes 5, alternate with petals, undivided, not gland-tipped, minute; pistil 2–4-carpellate; ovary superior, immersed in and adnate to nectary, 2–4-locular, placentation axile; style 1; stigmas 2–4; ovules 1–2 per locule. Fruits capsules, 2–4-locular, obovoid, 2–4-angled, apex not beaked. Seeds 1 per locule, ellipsoid, not winged; aril bright red, completely surrounding seed.

Distribution

United States, Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, Eurasia, Africa, Atlantic Islands, Indian Ocean Islands, Pacific Islands, Australia.

Discussion

Species ca. 200 (2 in the flora).

Tricerma, sometimes separated from Maytenus (for example, by C. L. Lundell 1971), is embedded within Maytenus (M. J. McKenna et al. 2011) and not accepted here.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Maytenus boaria, Maytenus phyllanthoides

Key

1	Leaf blade margins entire or remotely serrulate, apices obtuse to rounded; branchlets erect or spreading; capsules bright red, 8–12 mm; Florida and Texas.	Maytenus phyllanthoides
1	Leaf blade margins regularly serrulate, apices acute; branchlets pendent; capsules yellow or straw colored, 5–9 mm; California.	Maytenus boaria