| Anisophylleaceae | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Cucurbitales |
| Family: | Anisophylleaceae |
| Genera | |
|
|
Anisophylleaceae is a small family with four genera in the order Cucurbitales, according to the APG II. However it is more isolated from the other suprafamilal clades in this order, while it shows some similarities in flower morphology with the genus Ceratopetalum (family Cunoniaceae, order Oxalidales). Several wood features of this family, are more primitive than those of the other families in the order Cucurbitales.
Previously this family was categorized under its own order Anisophylleales by Takhtajan in 1997
It is a pantropical family of shrubs and medium-sized to fairly large trees, occurring in wet, tropical forests and swamps of America, Africa and Asia.
The palmately-veined leaves have a rather leathery texture, entire margins, and are often asymmetrical at the base. They have minute stipules or simply lack them. They are alternate; spiral, or distichous, or four-ranked (such as in Anisophyllea). The paired leaves may be different in size or shape.
The small flowers are regular and 3-merous to 5-merous. They are usually aggregated in axillary racemes or panicles. The flower type varies considerably, most are monoecious, except Combretocarpus; which is hermaphrodite, having perfect flowers.
The inferior, 3 to 4-locular ovary develops into a drupe or a samara (as in Combretocarpus) with usually one seed, but with 3-4 seeds in Poga.