Botanical Family · Rosales

Rhamnaceae

Buckthorn Family

18 speciesOrder Rosales8+ well-known plants

The Rhamnaceae family (Buckthorn Family) is a botanical family placed in the order Rosales. In the SASYA catalogue it spans 18 species across 6 genera. Members range from lianas to climbing shrubs. Well-represented genera include Ziziphus, Ventilago and Gouania. Several members are valued in traditional medicine. Familiar examples include Tiny-Fruit Chawstick, Umbrella Tree and Cat Thorn.

Browse all 18 species ↓

Representative specimen · Rhamnaceae

Key pattern

Simple leaves, often with three conspicuous veins running from the base, on shrubs, trees, or spiny lianas; small inconspicuous flowers sit on a fleshy disc with each stamen cupped directly opposite a petal rather than alternating with it, ripening into a drupe.

Many species carry sharp thorns modified from stipules or branchlets, and several store anthraquinone laxative compounds in bark and fruit.

Identify the species

Which Rhamnaceae species is this?

Answer what you can see and narrow it down to a single Rhamnaceae species.

Click a node to trace its path · pinch or scroll to zoom · drag to pan

HabitWhat is the plant's growth habit?

Climbing vine

Shrub

Tree

Leaf ShapeWhat is the overall shape of the leaf blade?

Elliptic (widest at middle)

Lanceolate

Ovate (egg-shaped, broad at base)

Leaf ShapeWhat is the overall shape of the leaf blade?

Elliptic (widest at middle)

Obovate

Ovate

Ovate (egg-shaped, broad at base)

Leaf ShapeWhat is the overall shape of the leaf blade?

Lanceolate

Ovate

Ovate (egg-shaped, broad at base)

ArmatureDoes the plant have thorns?

Spiny

Unarmed

Family identification method

To check whether a plant belongs to Rhamnaceae, compare the leaf arrangement, leaf type, flower symmetry, fruit type, and one distinctive marker together. A single feature can mislead; the family pattern is the combination.

Learn the full family-identification method