Coriaria is the sole genus in the family Coriariaceae, which was described by Linnaeus in 1753.[3][5] It includes 14 species[6] of small
trees,
shrubs and
subshrubs, with a widespread but
disjunct distribution across warm temperate regions of the world, occurring as far apart as the Mediterranean region, southern and eastern Asia, New Zealand (where some are alpine species), the Pacific Ocean islands, and Central and South America.[4][7][8]
The
leaves are opposite or in whorls, simple, 2–9 cm long, without stipules. The
flowers are borne in
racemes 2–30 cm long, each flower small, greenish, with five small petals. The
fruit is a small and shiny black (occasionally yellow or red)
berry-like swollen
corolla, highly
poisonous in several species, though those of C. terminalis are edible. At least a few members of this genus are
non-legume nitrogen fixers.
The Mediterranean species C. myrtifolia is known as redoul, and the several New Zealand species are known by the
Māori name of tutu.
The South American species C. ruscifolia is an evergreen climber known as deu or huique, and its fruits are used in southern Chile to make rat poison.
Coriaria × sarlurida Cockayne & Allan - New Zealand
Coriaria × sarmangusta Allan - New Zealand
Fossil record
Coriariaceae
fossils as
pollen and seeds, are known from the
Miocene of Europe.[12] The discovery of pollen grains from Early Campanian (ca. 82 Mya) deposits in Antarctica, which were described as Coriaripites goodii, expand the family’s fossil record and represent the so far oldest fossil of the order Cucurbitales.[13]
^Davidse, G., M. Sousa Sánchez, S. Knapp & F. Chiang Cabrera. 2014. Saururaceae a Zygophyllaceae. 2(3): ined. In G. Davidse, M. Sousa Sánchez, S. Knapp & F. Chiang Cabrera (eds.) Flora Mesoamericana. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México