Ochnaceae
An order of trees or shrubs with watery juice, sparsely scattered over the whole of the tropical regions (mostly in America). Flowers hermaphrodite, often large and showy, usually paniculate, rarely axillary and solitary, or fasciculate; sepals four or five, free, imbricated; petals five, rarely four or ten, free, longer than the calyx, deciduous, spreading, sub-sessile, imbricated or convolute. Fruit a drupe or berry. Leaves alternate, stipulate, highly glabrous, simple (in one genus pinnate), coriaceous, frequently with serrated margins, often thickly nerved; stipules varying. Some of the species possess tonic properties. The berries of Gomphia Jabotapita are edible. The order contains a dozen genera and about 140 species. The principal genus is Gomphia.