HERNANDIACEAE
Morphological description
Woody, usually trees. Sometimes a climber with 3-foliolate leaves (Illigera)
Leaves
Leaves spiral, usually simple, entire, exstipulate.
Flowers
Flower actinomorphic, perianth lobes more or less free; filaments usually with glands at base, anthers opening by two valves; ovary inferior, 1-locular, 1 pendulous ovule.
Fruit
Fruit usually winged or surrounded by an involucre, 1-seeded.
Different from: Lauraceae: ovary rarely inferior, fruit not winged or covered by an involucre.
Distribution: Pantropical; in Malesia 3 genera, incl. Hernandia (pantropical) trees, lowland rain forest.
Notes: Hernandia nymphaeifolia is a common seashore tree, the fleshy involucre of the fruit is eaten by bats, but it also aids in floating.
Literature: K. Kubitzki, Bot. Jahrb. 89 (1969) 78-148; B.E.E. Duyfjes, Fl. Males. I, 12 (1996) 737-761.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Hernandiaceae 58, 79 - Gyrocarpus 87, 98 - Hernandia 38, 51, 80, 87, 92, 98, 99 - Illigera 4, 5, 15, 48, 59, 87, 98.
Illustrations: Fig. 79. Hernandia nymphaeifolia (Presl) Kubitzki: a. habit; b. inflorescence; c. male flower; d. female flower; e & f. fruit (Courtesy of Forest Department Malaysia).
Image in PhytoImages for Hernandiaceae