Class
Classification
Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Thymelaeaceae
Description
Shrubs, trees or rarely herbs; bark usually very tough. Lvs opposite or alternate, simple, exstipulate. Infl. a terminal bracteate head, spike or raceme, rarely fls solitary. Fls actinomorphic or nearly so, usually ☿, sometimes unisexual. Calyx with tubular hypanthium, often petaloid, often swollen below, with 4–5 imbricate lobes. Petals 4–12 or 0, scale-like, inserted at mouth of calyx tube or within it. Stamens 1-numerous, usually as many as or twice as many as calyx lobes. Hypogynous disc annular, or of separate scales, or 0. Ovary superior, positioned at base of calyx tube but free from it, 1–2-locular, with 1 ovule to each locule. Fr. usually a drupe or nut, very rarely a capsule.
[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]
Biostatus
| Category | Number |
|---|---|
| Indigenous (Endemic) | 44 |
| Exotic: Fully Naturalised | 1 |
| Exotic: Casual | 3 |
| Total | 48 |
Bibliography
Connor, H.E. 1977: The Poisonous Plants in New Zealand. Edition 2. Government Printer, Wellington.
Connor, H.E.; Fountain, J. 2009: Plants that Poison: A New Zealand Guide. Manaaki Whenua Press, Lincoln.
Cronquist, A. 1988: The evolution and classification of flowering plants. The New York Botanic Gardens, New York.
Mabberley, D.J. 2008: Mabberley's plant book, a portable dictionary of plants, their classification and uses. Edition 3. Cambridge University Press.
