Hernandiaceae Blume

Sasaki, D. (2009). Neotropical Hernandiaceae.

Distribution

Distribution in the Neotropics

• Gyrocarpus Jacq.: 1 species widespread in the Neotropics and 1 species restricted to Central America.
• Hernandia L.: Pantropical.
• Sparattanthelium Mart.: Tropical America.

Diagnostic

Other important characters

• Often long-petiolate (shorter in Sparattanthelium).
• Cystoliths often present (Gyrocarpus, Sparattanthelium).
• Flowers unisexual or bisexual.
• Fruits dry, nucular or samaroid.

Distinguishing characters (always present)

• Aromatic plants (trees, shrubs or vines).
• Leaves simple and alternate (entire or palmatifid).
• Stipules absent.
• Ovary inferior.
• Carpel 1.
• Ovule 1.
• Placentation apical.

Key differences from similar families

• In Lauraceae, the anthers dehisce via hinged flaps and the fruits are usually subtended by a cupule (thickened receptacle).
• In Monimiaceae, the leaves are opposite (or rarely whorled), the ovary is apocarpous and superior.

Useful tips for generic identification

• Gyrocarpus : trees, inflorescences axillary, flowers unisexual or bisexual (plants polygamous), tepals 4-8, stamens 4-5 with dorsal appendages, fruits with two large wings (samaroid).
• Hernandia : trees, inflorescences terminal, flowers unisexual, tepals 6-10(-12), male flowers with 3-5 stamens with basal appendages, fruits subtended by bracteoles or a cupule formed by them (nucular).
• Sparattanthelium : shrubs or lianas with recurving hooks, inflorescences axillary, flowers bisexual, tepals 4-5(-8), stamens 4-5(-7) without appendages, fruits without wings and not subtended by bracteoles (nucular).

General Description

General notes

• The family is divided in two subfamilies: Gyrocarpoideae (Gyrocarpus and Sparattanthelium) and Hernandioideae (Hernandia and the non-Neotropical genera Illgera and Hazomalania).
• Instead of tepals, the perianth parts are consider to be sepals and petals or only sepals by different authors.

Number of genera

• Three Neotropical genera.

Status

• Native.

Notes on delimitation

• The Hernandiaceae is placed in the order Laurales by Cronquist (1988). Molecular studies support its affinity with the Lauraceae and Monimiaceae (Stevens 2008).

Literature

Important literature

Gentry, A.H. 1996. A Field Guide to the Families and Genera of Woody Plants of Northwest South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru) with Supplementary Notes on Herbaceous Taxa, pp. 456-458. The University of Chicago Press. Chicago and London.

Heywood, V.H. 2007. Hernandiaceae. In: Heywood, V.H., Brummit, R.K., Culham, A. & Seberg, O. (eds.). Flowering Plant Families of the World,  p. 166. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Kubitzki, K. 1969. Monographie der Hernandiaceen. Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 89: 78-205.

Kubitzki, K. 1993. Hernandiaceae. In: K. Kubiztki, J.G. Rohwer & V. Bittrich (eds). The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants, Vol. II, pp. 334-38. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York.

Kubitzki, K. 2004. Hernandiaceae. In: N. Smith, S.A. Mori, A. Henderson, D.W. Stevenson & S.V. Heald (eds). Flowering Plants of the Neotropics, pp. 334-337. Princeton University Press, Princeton.

Miller, J.S. & Berry, P.E. 1999. Hernandiaceae. In: P.E. Berry, K. Yatskievych & B.K. Holst (eds). Flora of the Venezuelan Guyana, Vol. 2, Eriocaulaceae - Hernandiaceae, pp: 592-593. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.

Pennington, T.D., Reynel, C. & Daza, A. 2004. Illustrated guide to the trees of Peru, pp. 198-199. David Hunt, Sherborne. 

Stevens, P.F. 2008. Angiosperm Phylogeny Website, version 9. http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb/.

Morphology

Description

Trees, shrubs or vines, aromatic, often evergreen . Leaves simple , alternate , entire or palmatifid , pinnately or palmately veined , margins entire , often long- petiolate , stipules absent, sometimes with cystoliths in leaves and axis (Gyrocarpus, Sparattanthelium). Inflorescences axillary or terminal , paniculate, cymose or corymbose; bracteoles absent (Gyrocarpus, Sparattanthelium) or present (Hernandia). Flowers hermaphrodite (Gyrocarpus, Sparattanthelium) or unisexual (Hernandia), actinomorphic or zygomorphic ; tepals 4-10(-12) in 1 whorl (Gyrocarpus, Sparattanthelium) or 2 whorls (Hernandia), sepaloid, free or basally connate , estivation imbricate or valvate ; stamens 3-5(-7) in 1 whorl, filaments with a 1-2 nectariferous glands , anthers basifixed, dehiscing via longitudinal valves; ovary inferior, carpel 1, placentation apical, ovule 1; style 1, short or elongated; stigma terminal . Fruits nucular, sometimes subtended by bracteoles (Hernandia), or samaroid (Gyrocarpus), dry; seed 1, endosperm absent.

Hernandiaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:1. 1954

Morphology General Habit

Trees or shrubs, sometimes scandent, with alternate, simple or digitately compound leaves; stipules absent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers hermaphrodite, or monoecious or polygamous by abortion, actinomorphic, arranged in axillary corymbose or paniculate cymes, bracteate or not

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx with 3–5 valvate subequal segments in two whorls or rarely 4–8 in one whorl

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Stamens 3–5 in a single whorl, when the perianth is double opposite the outer segments, often 4; anthers 2-celled, opening introrsely or laterally by 2 valves; staminodes gland-like, in one or two whorls outside the stamens, or absent, those of the outer whorl in pairs at the base of the filaments, those of the inner whorl alternate with the stamens

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Ovary single, inferior, 1-celled; ovule solitary, pendulous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit dry, more or less ribbed, either with 2–4 wings on the body or with two terminal wings formed by enlarged perianth-segments, or wingless but enclosed in the inflated receptacle

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed solitary, without endosperm; testa leathery; embryo straight; cotyledons large, plano-convex or flat and twisted around the radicle

Hernandiaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1985

Morphology General Habit

Monoecious trees or shrubs or lianes with bisexual flowers, with aromatic oils in stems and leaves

Morphology Leaves

Leaves alternate, exstipulate, simple or palmately compound, sometimes with small pellucid dots, 3–7-nerved at or a little above the base

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers usually small, greenish yellow, cream-coloured or white in axillary, peduncled, corymbose or panicled, bracteate or ebracteate cymes, bisexual or polygamous by abortion, regular

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Perianth

Perianth superior; segments free or shortly united below, in two valvate 3–5-merous whorls, or more rarely in one imbricate 4–8-merous whorl

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium

Stamens 3–5 in a single whorl, opposite the outer perianth- segments when the perianth is double, or 2–7 but generally 4 when the perianth is single; anthers 2-thecous, dehiscing introrsely or laterally by 2 flap-like valves

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Sterile Parts

Staminodes ± glandular, in 1 or 2 whorls usually outside the stamens, or absent; those of the outer whorl in pairs at the base of the stamens, those of the inner whorl alternate with the stamens

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium

Ovary inferior, 1-locular; ovule solitary, pendulous, anatropous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Fruit dry, often longitudinally ribbed, sometimes with 2–4 longitudinal wings (Illigera), or with 2 terminal wings formed by accrescent perianth-segments (>i>Gyrocarpus), or wingless and enclosed in an inflated capsule (>i>Hernandia)

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed solitary, without endosperm, enclosed in woody endocarp; embryo straight; cotyledons large, plano-convex, ± lobed, or flattened and spirally twisted