A review of the monotypic southern African endemic genus Curtisia Aiton is presented. Detailed studies of the fruit and seed structure provided new evidence in support of a close relationship between the family Curtisiaceae and Comaceae. Comparisons with several other members of the Comales revealed carpological similarities to certain species of Comus s.I., sometimes treated as segregate genera Dendrobenthamia Hutch, and Benthamidia Spach. We also provide information on the history of the assegai tree, Curtisia dentata (Burm.f.) C.A.Sm. and its uses, as well as a formal taxonomic revision, including nomenclature, typification, detailed description and geographical distribution.

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In several production areas, dessert (sweet) and reinforced wines are made after a more or less intense dehydration of harvested grapes. The dehydration process depends on several factors, including the size, morphology and anatomy of the berries, all genetically defined traits that can be affected by vineyard management and microclimate conditions. At harvest, berry outer surface and skin ultrastructural features of cvs Aleatico, Sagrantino, Sangiovese and Trebbiano berries were investigated in a frozen-hydrated state using cryo‑scanning electron microscopy (Cryo‑SEM). The berries were subjected to postharvest dehydration at 23 °C for twelve days and the differences in weight loss were determined. In terms of weight loss rate, Aleatico and Trebbiano were the fastest and the slowest respectively. Therefore, the ultrastructural changes of berry skin of these two varieties were also investigated at the end of the dehydration process. At harvest, the structure of the epicuticular waxes on the skin outer surface differed between berries of different cultivars. The thickness of the cuticle, epidermis and hypodermis was also found to be significantly different, with Trebbiano berries having the thickest skin. At the end of the dehydration process all the measured parameters decreased, in particular Aleatico epicuticular wax, hypodermis and cuticle thickness, as well as the hypodermis cell wall and the mesocarp parenchyma cell area. The high weight loss rate recorded for Aleatico can be partly explained by the thickness of the berry skin at harvest, which was significantly thinner than that of Trebbiano, as well as by other skin-related morphological and histological factors possibly affecting permeability.

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