11. Paxistima Rafinesque, Sylva Tell. 42. 1838.
[Greek pachos, thick, and stigma, alluding to slightly enlarged stigma] [Greek pachos, thick, and stigma, alluding to slightly enlarged stigma]
Jinshuang Ma
Shrubs. Branchlets 4-angled, <with corky ridges>. Leaves persistent, opposite; stipules present; petiole present or absent; blade margins finely toothed; venation pinnate. Inflorescences axillary, cymes or flowers solitary. Flowers bisexual, radially symmetric; perianth and androecium perigynous; hypanthium free from ovary; sepals 4, distinct; petals 4, reddish brown to yellowish green; nectary intrastaminal, lining hypanthium, fleshy; stamens 4, adnate to nectary margin; staminodes 0; pistil 2-carpellate; ovary superior, <immersed in and adnate to nectary>, 2-locular, placentation axile; style 1; stigmas 2; ovules 2 per locule. Fruits capsules, 2-locular, ellipsoid or obovoid, apex not beaked. Seeds 1 per locule, ellipsoid or obovoid, not winged; aril yellow or white, surrounding base and 1 side of seed, lacerate or fringed. x = 16.
Species 2 (2 in the flora): North America, n Mexico.
Pachystima and Pachistima are orthographic variants used frequently in the flora area.
SELECTED REFERENCES Navaro, A. M. and W. H. Blackwell. 1990. A revision of Paxistima (Celastraceae). Sida 14: 231–249. Wheeler, L. C. 1943. History and orthography of the celastraceous genus "Pachystima" Rafinesque. Amer. Midl. Naturalist 29: 792–795.
