CHLORANTHACEAE
Morphological description
More or less woody, erect, twigs with swollen nodes.
Leaves
Leaves simple, decussate (incl. verticillate), dentate, penninerved, interpetiolar ridge or stipule.
Inflorescence
Inflorescence terminal.
Flowers
Flower reduced (without perianth); ovary inferior.
Fruit
Fruit a 1-seeded drupe. Sometimes drupes ripening white (Chloranthus) or red (Sarcandra).
Different from: Acanthaceae: flowers well developed, cystoliths. — Piperaceae: leaves mostly alternate, entire, ovary superior.
Distribution: The family has a patchy distribution, absent from Africa, Australia, Europe, North America. In Malesia 4 genera, incl.: - Ascarina (East Malesia, Paciļ¬c), trees; montane rain forest.
Notes: Medicinal use: Chloranthus erectus (C. officinalis); leaves used as tea: C. spicatus.
Literature: B. Verdcourt, Fl. Males. I, 10 (1986) 123-144.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Chloranthaceae swollen nodes, leaf margin dentate/ serrate, stipules interpetiolar, ovary inferior Chloranthus stamens with appendages, ripe fruits white.
Illustrations: Fig. 27. Chloranthus erectus (Buch.Ham.) Verdc. B. Verdcourt, Fl. Males. I, 10 (1986) 123-144.
Images in PhytoImages for Chloranthaceae.