HAMAMELIDACEAE
Morphological description
Woody, non-climbing.
Leaves
Leaves simple, spiral, penninerved, stipules present. Leaves sometimes palminerved (Exbucklandia); stipule scar annular (Maingaya, Exbucklandia); stipules pectinate (Embolanthera)
Inflorescence
Inflorescence.
Flowers
Flower actinomophic usually unisexual, 4- or 5-merous; petals linear; anthers basifixed, connective with appendage; styles 2, ovary semi-inferior
Fruit
Fruit a capsule.
Seed
Sometimes seeds winged (Altingia).
Different from: Casuarinaceae: leaves scaly. — Euphorbiaceae: ovary superior.
Distribution: Mainly northern hemisphere, but also in Madagascar and Queensland. In Malesia 7 genera, incl.: - Altingia (Southeast Asia to Java), large trees, montane forest.
Notes: Timber: Altingia (rasamala). — Ornamental trees: Maingaya, Rhodoleia, Exbucklandia. — Young leaves edible: Altingia.
Literature: W. Vink, Fl. Males. I, 5 (1957) 363-379; T.C. Whitmore, Tree Fl. Mal. 2 (1972) 237-243.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Hamamelidaceae 30, 58, 89, 92 - Altingia 76, 96, 102 - Distylium 25, 26, 100 - Embolanthera 34, 85, 87 - Exbucklandia 16, 33 - Maingaya 33, 100 - Rhodoleia 14, 25, 38, 76, 81, 96, 100 - Sycopsis 25, 26, 76, 87, 100.
illustrations : Fig. 78. 136 Fig. 79. Hernandia nymphaeifolia (Presl) Kubitzki: a. habit; b. inflorescence; c. male flower; d. female flower; e & f. fruit (Courtesy of Forest Department Malaysia).
Illustrations: Fig. 78. Embolanthera spicata Merr.: a. habit; a'. separate entire leaf; b. calyx; c. petal; d. stamens; e. LS of ovary; f. bract; g. stipule.
Image in PhytoImages for Hamamelidaceae