Cardiopteridaceae

Citronella D.Don

First published in Edinburgh New Philos. J. 13: 234 (1832)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Malesia to Pacific, Central & S. Tropical America.

Descriptions

Timothy M. A. Utteridge and Laura V. S. Jennings (2022). Trees of New Guinea. Kew Publishing. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Distribution
A genus of c. 21 species with most in the Neotropics and three species in Malesia; one species in New Guinea: Citronella suaveolens (Blume) R.A.Howard. The description below is only for Malesian taxa.
Morphology General Habit
Small to medium trees to 15(–35) m, sometimes with thin buttresses
Morphology Leaves
Leaves spirally arranged, elliptic to oblong, margins entire and slightly revolute
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences terminal, paniculate, cymes of secondary branches scorpioid, covered with greyish hairs
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers bisexual, 5-merous, fragrant, sessile, subtended by a minute bract; calyx imbricately lobed, persistent; petals free, valvate, or subimbricate in the upper part, white, apex inflexed, midrib inside prominent; stamens 5, free; filaments fleshy, subulate; anthers ovate to elliptic, introrse, basifixed; disk absent; ovary ovoid, l-celled (rarely 2-celled with a pseudo-loculus) style 1 (rarely 2), slender, stigma small, capitate, subbilobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a drupe, ellipsoid-oblongoid, slightly fleshy, dark purple-black when mature; endocarp woody, thin
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed 1, folded longitudinally around the vertical pseudo-loculus.
Ecology
This genus is found in primary rain forest to 1600 m.
Recognition
It is recognised by the simple, alternate, exstipulate leaves with terminal inflorescences with scorpioid branching with many relatively small white, fragrant flowers. The fruits are ellipsoid and purple-black when mature.
[TONG]

Sources

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Neotropikey

    • Milliken, W., Klitgard, B. and Baracat, A. (2009 onwards), Neotropikey - Interactive key and information resources for flowering plants of the Neotropics.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Trees of New Guinea

    • Trees of New Guinea
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0