Casuarinaceae

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Casuarinaceae

Description

Trees or shrubs, monoecious or dioecious. Leaves in whorls, scale-like, connate, forming dentate sheaths. Inflorescences unisexual, catkin-like, the staminate ones elongate, the pistillate ones (sub)capitate. Flowers without perianth, subtended by bractlets; stamen 1; pistil 1, ovary unilocular, ovules 2, stigmas 2. Fruits one-seeded samaras, each enclosed by enlarged, more or less woody bractlets, aggregated into a cone-like infructescence.

Distribution

Old World present
Old World, family with one genus and approx. 50 species.