CORNACEAE
Morphological description
Trees, resinous. Freshly cut bark smells of sugarcane.
Leaves
Leaves usually opposite, simple, entire, penninerved, exstipulate.
Inflorescence
Inflorescence terminal.
Flowers
Flower actinomorphic, bisexual; 4- or 5-merous, petals free, valvate, disk present; stamens isomerous, ovary inferior 1-celled, 1 pendulous ovule.
Fruit
Fruit a drupe; usually ripe fruit blue, endocarp sulcate.
Different from: Alangiaceae: leaves spiral, stamens twice the number of petals. — Araliaceae: leaves ligulate, often compound, plants aromatic. — Rubiaceae: stipulate, petals united.
Distribution: World-wide, mainly northern hemisphere. In Malesia 1 genus: - Mastixia (India-Solomons), mainly montane rain forest.
Notes: Some species may reach considerable size but the wood is soft.
Literature: K.M. Matthew, Fl. Males. I, 8 (1977) 85-97.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Alangiaceae leaf margin dentate/ serrate (p.p.); Alangium simple oblique leaves (p.p.); Helwingia inflorescence epiphyllous; Mastixia balance hairs (p.p.), glands on petiole or lamina, leaf with domatia, ovary inferior, fruit blue.
Illustrations: Fig. 43. K.M. Matthew, Fl. Males. I, 8 (1977) 85-97.
Image in PhytoImages for Cornaceae