ICACINACEAE
NB Icacinaceae included genera that are now in, e.g., Cardiopteridaceae and Stemonuraceae. The description below needs and update and still reflects the old situation.
Morphological description
Woody, trees or shrubs. Sometimes climbers with opposite leaves and tendrils (Iodes, Polyporandra); sometimes coarse liana, leaves palminerved (Phytocrene).
Leaves
Leaves simple, exstipulate. Usually spiral, entire (sometimes lobed), penninerved. Sometimes opposite leaves and tendrils (Iodes, Polyporandra); sometimes leaves palminerved (Phytocrene), sometimes petiole transversely ribbed (Gonocaryum); leaves with fine scales below (Platea), sometimes pellucid-dotted (Merrilliodendron).
Inflorescence
Inflorescence cymose; sometimes cauliflorous tree (Pseudobotrys).
Flowers
Flower petals free; ovary superior, 2 apical ovules.
Fruit
Fruit a drupe. Sometimes fruit with fibrous mesocarp (Merrilliodendron)
Different from: Lauraceae: 1 ovule, anthers opening by valves.
Distribution: The family pantropical, some species extending to warm temperate regions. In Malesia 20 genera, mostly of lowland and mid-montane rain forest, incl.: - Gomphandra (Indo-Malesia), treelets; substage of primary and secondary forest; - Platea (Indo-Malesia), trees of mid-montane forest; - Stemonurus (Indo-Malesia), trees of dryland and swamp forest.
Notes: A family difficult to recognize. Cardiopteris and Lophopyxis have been placed in families of their own. — Few uses recorded; timber trees: Cantleya, Platea..
Literature: H. Sleumer, Fl. Males. I. 7 (1971) 1-87.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Icacinaceae 28, 58, 59, 61, 79 - Apodytes 54, 91, 99 - Cantleya 88 - Citronella 45, 73 - Codiocarpus 88 - Gomphandra 77, 88, 99; G. quadrifida var. triplinerva 64 - Gonocaryum 39, 70, 88, 99, 105 - Iodes 4, 6, 45, 88 - Medusanthera 88 - Merrilliodendron 59, 70 - Miquelia 5, 88 - Phytocrene 5, 29, 70 96, 99 - Platea 23, 25, 26, 27, 39, 88 - Polyporandra 4, 5, 6, 45, 87, 88 - Pseudobotrys 70 - Pyrenacantha 5, 88 - Rhyticaryum 52, 88 - Sarcostigma 5 - Stemonurus 22, 85; S. monticolus 31.
Illustrations: Fig. 81. Gomphandra javanica (Blume) Valeton: a. habit; b. female flower; c. male flower; d. & d'. stamens; e. fruits. Fig. 82. Iodes cirrhosa Turcz.: a. habit; b. male flower; c. female flower; d. fruit; e & e'. male flower (and detail) of I. philippinensis Merr.
Image in PhytoImages for Icacinaceae