Hedyosmum

Primary tabs

Hedyosmum

Content

<<Staminate flowers>Stamens>Connective

anther connective extended with apex, flat, acute or acuminate.1
1. 004-001-001

<Fruits>Seeds

seeds small, brown or black, ellipsoidal or trigonous, smooth or minutely papillate.2
2. 007-001

<Habit>Nodes

nodes swollen.3
3. 001-003

<Habit>Stems

stems with persistent leaf sheaths or with encircling leaf sheath scars;4
4. 001-002

<Habit>Wood

wood white, usually soft;5
5. 001-001

<Leaves>Margins

margins dentate;6
6. 002-001

<Leaves>Petiole

petioles with expanded bases forming a connate sheath around stem;7
7. 002-002

<Leaves>Stipular appendages

distal margin of leaf sheath with or without stipular appendages.8
8. 002-003

<Pistillate inflorescences>Flowers

flowers solitary or more often clustered into cymules.9
9. 005-001

<Staminate flowers>Stamens

stamens quadrangular to oblong, 4-locular, longitudinally dehiscent,10
10. 004-001

<Staminate inflorescences>Spikes

spikes with 50-300 flowers.11
11. 003-001

Description

Monoecious or dioecious aromatic shrubs or trees, rarely herbs, often with prop roots; wood white, usually soft; stems with persistent leaf sheaths or with encircling leaf sheath scars; nodes swollen. Leaves fleshy to coriaceous when fresh; margins dentate; petioles with expanded bases forming a connate sheath around stem; distal margin of leaf sheath with or without stipular appendages. Staminate inflorescences composed of a solitary spike or with several spikes on a racemose or paniculate axis, subtended by a pair of leafy bracts; spikes with 50-300 flowers. Staminate flowers consisting of a solitary, sessile, ebracteate stamen; stamens quadrangular to oblong, 4-locular, longitudinally dehiscent, anther connective extended with apex, flat, acute or acuminate. Pistillate inflorescences solitary, thryse-like, racemose, or paniculate, subtended by leafy bracts; flowers solitary or more often clustered into cymules. Pistillate flowers consisting of an ellipsoidal or trigonous ovary, with perianth adnate to ovary with 3 free or partially fused lobes at apex of ovary, subtended by a chartaceous or fleshy floral bract that often encloses flower. Fruit a drupe with a fleshy wall formed by fused perianth or multiple with connate floral bracts becoming fleshy and colored (white or purple); seeds small, brown or black, ellipsoidal or trigonous, smooth or minutely papillate.

Distribution

Guianas present, Northern America, SE Asia present, Southern America: Paraguay (Paraguay present)
About 44 species, mostly at mid-elevations from Mexico to Paraguay; 1 species in SE Asia; in the Guianas 1 species.

Fruits

Fruit a drupe with a fleshy wall formed by fused perianth or multiple with connate floral bracts becoming fleshy and colored (white or purple);12
12. 007

Habit

Monoecious or dioecious aromatic shrubs or trees, rarely herbs, often with prop roots;13
13. 001

Leaves

Leaves fleshy to coriaceous when fresh;14
14. 002

Pistillate flowers

Pistillate flowers consisting of an ellipsoidal or trigonous ovary, with perianth adnate to ovary with 3 free or partially fused lobes at apex of ovary, subtended by a chartaceous or fleshy floral bract that often encloses flower.15
15. 006

Pistillate inflorescences

Pistillate inflorescences solitary, thryse-like, racemose, or paniculate, subtended by leafy bracts;16
16. 005

Staminate flowers

Staminate flowers consisting of a solitary, sessile, ebracteate stamen;17
17. 004

Staminate inflorescences

Staminate inflorescences composed of a solitary spike or with several spikes on a racemose or paniculate axis, subtended by a pair of leafy bracts;18
18. 003