Hamamelidaceae
Trees or shrubs, deciduous; pubescence stellate or sometimes simple. Dormant buds naked or scaly. Leaves alternate, simple, petiolate; stipules early deciduous. Leaf-blade unlobed or deeply (3-) 5-7-lobed, pinnately or palmately veined. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, capitate or spicate to ± racemose, bracteate. Flowers bisexual or unisexual; perianth epigynous, 1-2-seriate, 4-5-merous, often reduced or absent, hypanthium present; calyx persistent, 4-5 (-7) -lobed, or absent; petals distinct or absent; stamens 4-34; anthers basifixed, latrorse, 2-locular, longitudinally dehiscent by simple slit or by 1-2 vertical valves; pistil 1, 2-carpellate; ovary half-inferior, 2-locular; placentation axile; ovules 1 (-2) in each locule and apical, or many, anatropous, pendent; styles and stigmas persistent, 2 each, erect or contorted and recurved. Fruits capsular, with leathery exocarp and bony endocarp, loculicidal and 2-seeded or septicidal with most of many seeds per locule aborted; 1-2 viable seeds per locule (Liquidambar). Seeds fusiform, bony, lustrous, hilum apical, light colored, or seeds winged, hilum lateral (Liquidambar).
Distribution
Temperate to tropical regions, e North America, Mexico, Central America, e Asia, Africa (including Madagascar), Pacific Islands, and Australia
Discussion
Genera ca. 31, species ca. 100 (3 genera, 5 species in the flora).
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
Illustrations
Key
| 1 | Trees with simple hairs; leaf blade palmately (3-)5(-7)-lobed and - veined; flowers unisexual, terminal, the staminate in ± racemose heads, each head a clustered mass of numerous stamens, pistillate inflorescences many flowered; capsules septicidal, fused at base into long-pedunculate, globose, echinate heads; viable seeds winged, most seeds aborted. | Liquidambar |
| 1 | Shrubs or small trees with stellate pubescence; leaf blade unlobed, pinnately veined; flowers bisexual, in axillary, few-flowered clusters or in many-flowered, elongate spikes; capsules loculicidal, not fused into heads; viable seeds not winged. | > 2 |
| 2 | Inflorescences axillary, (1-)3(-5)-flowered clusters; calyx lobes 4, reflexed; petals 4, liguliform, yellow or reddish, deep red to orange; stamens 4, very short; staminodes 4; capsules solitary or 2-3 together. | Hamamelis |
| 2 | Inflorescences terminal, elongate, many-flowered spikes; calyx lobes 5-7(-9), erect; petals absent; stamens 12-34; filaments white, 4-17 mm; staminodes absent; capsules in groups of more than 3. | Fothergilla |