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Moringa family
Moringaceae Martinov
ワサビノキ科
A family of woody plants native to Africa, Arabia, and India, comprising 13 species in a single genus (Moringa). Moringa oleifera, known as the 'miracle tree,' has leaves, seeds, and roots used for food, medicine, and water purification. It is also cultivated in Okinawa and other warm regions of Japan.
Key Characteristics
- ●Deciduous or semi-deciduous trees; some species have tuberous, radish-like roots
- ●Leaves are 2- to 3-pinnately compound
- ●Flowers are pentamerous and zygomorphic, white to pale yellow
- ●Fruit is a long pod-like capsule (30–100 cm in length)
Morphological Traits
A family may include species with different trait values — multiple values indicate the range within the family.
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf type
Compound
Venation
Pinnate
Leaf margin
Entire
Growth form
Tree
Evergreen/Deciduous
Deciduous
Compound type
Bipinnate
Stipules
Present / Absent
Flower symmetry
Actinomorphic / Zygomorphic
Petal count
Many
Petal fusion
Fused
Ovary position
Superior
Stamen count
5
Plant sex
Hermaphrodite
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Core Eudicots > Brassicales > Moringaceae
Divergence Era
Late Cretaceous to Paleogene (ca. 70 million years ago)
Representative Genera
Related Evolution Events
- ・Adaptation to arid environments (tuberous roots and deciduousness)
- ・Evolution of highly nutritious leaves and oil-rich seeds
Plants in Moringa family on this site
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