Download Thymelaeaceae: Mezereum Family

Thymelaeaceae: Mezereum
Family
Thymelaeaceae
• In the world there are 50 genera and 500
species- most are in Africa and Asia
• Most are shrubs
• Bark is difficult to break
• Fruit is usually dry or fleshy
Dirca palustris
• Eastern Leatherwood
• It is extremly slow growing
• Some people are allergic to the bark and the fruit is believed
to be a narcotic
• Palutris means “growing in a swamp” and the leatherwood
grows in moist to wet soils
• Woody shrub that grows up to 7 feet tall
• Plant rarely has stems that grow over 6cm in diameter
Dirca palustris
• Leaves are alternate, simple, and obovate to oval
• 2-4 in. long and 1-3 in. wide and they are pubescent when
young
• Flowers are abundant in fascicles of 2-4 with 8 stamens that
are 2 different lengths
• Flowers normally appear March to April
• Fruits are drupes that are oval to oblong and red to orange in
color
Daphne
• Family made up of evergreen and deciduous shrubs
• Found in Europe, North Africa, and Asia
• Known for their highly scented flowers but some species in
the family are not scented
Daphne cenorum
Gonystylus
• Tropical hardwoods found in Asia that are ~40m tall and
branchless until about 21m up
• Leaves are elliptical, obovate, and rounded at the bass and
then narrow to a point
• classified as vulnerable
• G. banacus is the most over-exploited in the species because
of its high value for products such as door and window
frames, cabinets, and other furniture
Gonystylus
Works Cited
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"Dirca palustria." Discover Life. 2010. Web. 24 Jan 2010.
<http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Dirca+palustris>.
Harden, G. "Family Thymelaeaceae." PlantNET. 2009. Web. 24 Jan 2010.
<http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgibin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=fm&name=Thymelaeaceae>.
Orwa C, A Mutua, Kindt R , Jamnadass R, S Anthony. 2009 Agroforestree
Database:a tree reference and selection guide version 4.0
<http://www.worldagroforestry.org/sites/treedbs/treedatabases.asp>
"Plant Profile: Daphne." Gardening Australia. 2010. Web. 24 Jan 2010.
<http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1866614.htm>.
Pictures:
– http://awaytogarden.com/slideshow-springtime%E2%80%99s-shrubs-onparade
– http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/dipa.html
– http://www.rimbundahan.org/environment/plant_lists/thymelaeaceae/G
onystylus-bancanus.jpg