Familia Clethraceae

CLETHRACEAE

Morphological description

Woody, non-climbing.

Leaves

Leaves spiral, simple, usually crowded, stellate hairy, glandular dentate, penninerved, exstipulate.

Inflorescence

Inflorescence usually a terminal raceme.

Flowers

Flower usually 5-merous, petals more or less free; stamens twice the number of petals; ovary superior, 3-celled, ovules numerous, axillary.

Fruit

Fruit a capsule.

Different from: Ericaceae: petals fused, ovary 5-locular, hairs not stellate.

Distribution: The only genus, Clethra, occurs chiefly in the northern hemisphere. In Malesia 13 species, mainly primary and also secondary montane forest.

Notes: Potential ornamentals.

Literature: H. Sleumer, Fl. Males. I, 7 (1971) 139-150.

Spot characters (Van Balgooy): glands on petiole or lamina, stellate hairs (p.p.), leaf with domatia, leaf margin dentate/ serrate (p.p.).

Illustrations: Fig. 29. Clethra pacyphylla Merr.: a. habit; b. flower: c. petal: d & e. stamens; f. LS of flowers: g. fruit; h.s eeds. H. Sleumer, Fl. Males. I, 7 (1971) 139-150.

Image in PhytoImages for Clethraceae

 

 

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