PROTEACEAE
Morphological description
Woody, non-climbing. Usually trees, wood with broad rays.
Leaves
Leaves simple, exstipulate. Usually spiral, often turning yellowish when dried, petiole thickened at base. Sometimes juvenile leaves large, deeply pinnatifid (Heliciopsis); leaves in a whorl, red sap (Macadamia); leaves finely pinnately dissected (Grevillea p. p., Stenocarpus p.p.).
Inflorescence
Inflorescence usually a raceme.
Flowers
Flowers usually hermaphroditic; 4-merous, tepals free; stamens 4, epitepalous; ovary superior, 1-locular; long, often persistent style.
Fruit
Fruit usually woody (capsule or drupe). Sometimes mesocarp of drupe fibrous (Heliciopsis).
Seed
Seed sometimes winged (Alloxylon [Oreocallis], Stenocarpus).
Different from: Loranthaceae: parasitic shrubs, leaves usually opposite, ovary inferior. — Heliciopsis often confused with Aralidium (Aralidiaceae) which has clasping petiole and fleshy berry.
Distribution: The family widespread, chiefly in the southern hemisphere. In Malesia 9 genera, best represented in the eastern part, incl.: - Grevillea (Australia, East Malesia), shrubs, trees, monsoon forest; - Helicia (Indo-Australia), trees, lowland and montane forest; - Macadamia (Sulawesi, Australia), trees, lowland and mid-montane rain forest.
Notes: Several (potential) ornamentals: Alloxylon, Finschia, Grevillea, Macadamia. — Edible nut: Macadamia ternifolia*, Finschia.
Literature: H. Sleumer, Fl. Males. I, 5 (1955) 147-206; L.A.S. Johnson & B.G. Briggs, Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 70 (1975) 83-182.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Proteaceae 83, 99 - Alloxylon 40, 43, 102 - Banksia 46, 96, 102 - Finschia 65, 91 - Grevillea 40, 102 - Helicia 28, 43, 46, 55, 70, 85, 91, 93, 99; H. bullata 52; H. forbesiana 9; H. peltata 51 - Heliciopsis 43, 70 - Macadamia 21, 43, 46, 99; M. hildebrandii 78 - Stenocarpus 50 - Turillia 40.
Illustrations: Fig. 135. Helicia robusta Roxb.: a. habit; b. flowerbuds; c. flower; d. ovary and disk; e & f. anther; g-i. seeds; j. fruit.
Image in PhytoImages for Proteaceae