Combretaceae

Name Reference

Combretaceae R.Br.

Summary

A moderately large tropical woody family of some 20 genera and 500 species. The family is characterised by flowers with an inferior, uni-locular ovary with usually two pendulous ovules, a well-developed floral disc, and one-seeded, drupe-like fruit (pseudocarp) without endosperm. Three genera, Laguncularia C.F.Gaertn., Conocarpus L. and Lumnitzera, are found typically in mangroves. Lumnitzera is the only one of these to occur in the Indo-West Pacific mangroves, including Australia. These genera are close relatives of an Australian upland genus, Macropteranthes F.Muell. ex Benth. ( [1]).

-- NormDuke and EmmaClifton - 2012-06-26