PENTAPHYLACACEAE
Morphological description
Woody, non-climbing plants.
Leaves
Leaves spiral, simple, entire, penninerved, exstipulate.
Inflorescence
Inflorescence.
Flowers
Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, 5-merous; sepals and petals free, petals usually emarginate; stamens 5, alternipetalous, anthers with terminal pores; ovary superior, 5-celled, 2 ovules per cell.
Fruit
Fruit a capsule.
Seed
Seed winged.
Different from: Symplocaceae: stamens many, ovary inferior, fruit a drupe. — Theaceae: stamens many, anthers opening by slits (Eurya, leaves dentate, dioecious).
Distribution: The only species of the family, Pentaphylax euryoides, is confined to Southeast Asia and West Malesia and is found in montane to subalpine forest.
Notes: Sometimes planted as an ornamental.
Literature: C.G.G. J. van Steenis, Fl. Males. I, 5 (1955) 121-124.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): 86, 102.
Illustrations: Fig. 131. Pentaphylax euryoides Gardn. & Champ., showing habit and details of flower.
Image in PhytoImages for Pentaphylacaceae