South America, East Asia, Pacific area; some species of Ascarina can be found in New Zealand. In Madagascar only occurs Sarcandra. Hedyosmum is the only American genus. Climate: tropical to subtropical
Floral characters
Inflorescence: terminal or axillary; unconspicious and mostly greenish; Flowers: small; Chloranthus (3 stamens) and Sarcandra (1 stamen):bisexual flowers Ascarina and Hedyosmum: monosexual, dioecious; male flowers have three bracteols, female flowers of Ascarina are naked Male flowers: catkin-like spikes, no calyx, 1-3 connate stamens Female and bisexual flowers: spikes or racemes, three sepals, ovary is inferior and one-locular, only one carpel
Leaf characters
Simple, opposite, petiolate, with small stipules, often basally connate, often with oil cells; unique internodes with enlarged sheat between the petioles, which is usually further distinguished by the two stipule-like projections on its upper margin between the petiole bases.
Stipules
present
Fruit characters
One-seeded small berry-like drupes; globular or formed like an egg; fleshy, white, red or blue-black; dispersed by animals
Glands
absent
Hairs
absent
Latex
absent
Odor
aromatically
Uses
Cloranthus glaber and C. japonicus are cultivated as ornamental shrubs; leaves of C. officinalis are used to make a drink in parts of Malaysia and Indonesia. Flowers of C. inconspicuus used to spice Green Tea, of its flowers and leaves can be made a tea against cough. Extract of the leaves of Hedyosmum brasiliense is used as tonic, aphrodisiacum, diuretic and sudorific and against stomach-ache.
Chemical characters
None.
Distribution maps
(online von http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb/ . Dort zitiert wie unter jedem Diagramm vermerkt):
