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Family Cunoniaceae

Synonyms: Baueraceae APNI*
Davidiaceae APNI*
Eucryphiaceae APNI*
Davidsoniaceae APNI*

Description: Trees or shrubs, rarely climbers.

Leaves opposite, rarely whorled or alternate, margins toothed [occasionally entire], simple or compound, often 3-foliolate, sometimes 1-foliolate, pinnate or palmate; stipules usually interpetiolar, occasionally absent, often conspicuous, falling early and leaving distinctive scars between petiole bases.

Inflorescence usually cymose, sometimes flowers in racemes, panicles or clustered in heads, rarely solitary. Flowers actinomorphic, generally bisexual; floral parts hypogynous, perigynous or epigynous. Sepals 4–10, sometimes basally fused and enlarging during fruit formation. Petals absent or 4–10, usually small. Stamens 4–20. Ovary usually superior or rarely half-inferior, 1–5-locular.

Fruit a capsule, a nut or drupaceous.


Distribution and occurrence: World: 29 genera, c. 265 species, Southern Hemisphere, tropical & temperate regions. Australia: 17 genera, about 35 species, Qld, N.S.W., Vic., Tas., S.A. & 1 species SW W.A.

External links:
Angiosperm Phylogeny Website (Family: Cunoniaceae, Order: Oxalidales)
Wikipedia

Now considered to include genera previously assigned to separate families Baueraceae, Davidsoniaceae, Eucryphiaceae, e.g. in Flora of NSW (1990). Coachwood, Ceratopetalum apetalum, produces timber that is used extensively in carpentry, cabinet making and flooring. Ceratopetalum gummiferum (Christmas Bush) is cultivated as an ornamental for its reddish calyces in the fruiting stage. Early settlers used Callicoma (Black Wattle) as the framework for their huts onto which clay was plastered; this method of construction was referred to as `wattle and daub'.

Text by G. J. Harden (1990); edited KL Wilson (July 2009)
Taxon concept:

 Key to the genera 
1Leaves simple or 1-foliolate, opposite or in apparent whorls of 32
Leaves compound with 3 or more leaflets or in apparent whorls of 65
2Leaves usually in whorls of 3 (rarely more), more or less sessile, petiole less than 2 mm longAcrophyllum
Leaves regularly opposite, petiole more than 10 mm long
                       Back to 1
3
3Flowers in dense globose heads; leaves white- or rusty- tomentose belowCallicoma
Flowers in open, much-branched cymes; leaves green, glabrous on both surfaces
                       Back to 2
4
4Calyx lobes enlarging after flowering; fruit dry; leaves 1-foliolate, lamina articulate on petioleCeratopetalum
Calyx lobes not enlarging; fruit succulent; leaves simple, lamina not articulate on petiole
                       Back to 3
Schizomeria
Leaves alternate; fruit fleshy
                       Back to 1
Davidsonia
5Leaves opposite, sometimes apparently whorled; fruit dry6
Stipules absent (actually 2 sessile 3-foliolate leaves)
                       Back to 5
Bauera
6Interpetiolar stipules present7
Margins of pinnae entire; stipules resinous
                       Back to 6
Eucryphia
7Margins of pinnae toothed; stipules not resinous8
8Leaflets at least hairy on the veins on the lower surface or hairy domatia present; leaves with 3, 5 or 7 leaflets9
Leaflets glabrous on both surfaces, domatia absent; leaves with 3 leaflets
                       Back to 7
10
9Domatia absent; leaves with 3 or 5 leaflets, palmately arranged; inflorescence axillaryVesselowskya
Hairy domatia present; leaves with 3, 5 or 7 leaflets, pinnately arranged; inflorescence terminal
                       Back to 8
Ackama
10Petiolules more than 5 mm long; stipules 10–20 mm long, strongly curved, 4 at each nodeKarrabina
Leaflets more or less sessile; stipules less than 5 mm long, triangular to linear, 2 at each node
                       Back to 8
11
11Calyx lobes not enlarging and turning red after flowering; capsule densely woolly-hairy; tree in rainforest north of the Nightcap RaPseudoweinmannia
Calyx lobes enlarging and turning reddish after flowering; capsule glabrous; shrub or small tree, not in rainforest, south of Evans Head
                       Back to 10
Ceratopetalum

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