CRYPTERONIACEAE
Morphological description
Woody, non-climbing; branches thickened at the nodes. Tree of swamp forest (Dactylocladus)
Leaves
Leaves decussate, simple, entire, penninerved, usually with intramarginal nerve; stipules (if present) minute.
Inflorescence
Inflorescence a panicle of racemes.
Flowers
Flower usually hermaprodite, ovary inferior, petals caducous, rudimentary or absent; stamens enveloped by the petals. Flowers apetalous, ovary superior (Crypteronia).
Fruit
Fruit a capsule.
Seed
Seed winged.
Different from: Lythraceae: inflorescence cymose, hypanthium. — Melastomataceae: leaves usually triplinerved, exstipulate, corolla large. — Myrtaceae: exstipulate, leaves with pellucid dots, nodes not thickened.
Distribution: The family pantropical. In Malesia 3 genera: - Axinandra (Sri Lanka, West Malesia), trees; lowland rain forest; - Crypteronia (Indo-Malesia), trees; lowland rain forest; - Dactylocladus (Borneo, New Guinea), trees; swamp forest.
Notes: Timber tree: Dactylocladus stenostachys.
Literature: .J. van Beusekom-Osinga, Fl. Males. I, 8 (1977) 187-204; J.T. Pereira, Tree Fl. Sabah & Sarawak 2 (1996) 135-149.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Crypteroniaceae intramarginal vein, stamens opposite to the petals; Axinandra swollen nodes, double intramarginal vein, Lagerstroemia capsule; Crypteronia swollen nodes, Lagerstroemia capsule, seeds winged, C. griffithii ant plants, dicots with large leaves; Dactylocladus swollen nodes, Lagerstroemia capsule, seeds winged.
Illustrations: Fig. 45. R.J. van Beusekom-Osinga, Fl. Males. I, 8 (1977) 187-204.
Image in PhytoImages for Crypteroniaceae