FLAGELLARIACEAE
NB The description is including Joinvillea which is now in its own family
Morphological description
Robust herbs.
Leaves
Leaves simple, spiral, oblong, veins parallel, leaf base sheathing.
Flowers
Flower bisexual, actinomorphic, tepals 6, ovary superior.
Fruit
Fruit a drupe.
Different from: Gramineae: inflorescence a panicle, the fruit a drupe (Joinvillea). - Nepenthaceae: in the absence of pitchers, inflorescence paniculate (Flagellaria)..
Distribution: Joinvillea has a patchy distribution in Malesia and the Pacific; Flagellaria is widespread from East Africa to Fiji and Samoa (Van Balgooy 1966).
Notes: Hanguana has been removed from the family and is placed in Hanguanaceae. Joinvillea has also been placed in a separate family Joinvilleaceae.
Literature: C.A. Backer, Fl. Males. I, 4 (1951) 245-250; M.M. J. van Balgooy, Pacific Plant Areas 2 (1966) map 57 (Flagellaria), map 58 (Joinvillea).
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): Flagellaria 4.
Illustrations: Fig. 78. Flagellaria indica L. (Flagellariaceae). Part of plant in fruit; enlarged flower. Reproduced from M.R. Henderson, Malayan wild flowers, Monocotyledons (1954, repr. 1974) 206. With kind permission of the Malaysian Nature Society.
Image in PhytoImages for Flagellariaceae