worldwide distributed, most species tropical. Many occur in aquatic and semiaquatic habitats
Floral characters
Inflorescences various. Flowers bisexual, radial to occasionally bilateral, with well-developed hypanthium. Sepals usually 4-8, distinct or slightly connate, valvate, often rather thick.Petals usually 4-8, distinct, imbricate, crumpled in bud and wrinkled at maturity, occasionally lacking. Stamens 4- numerous, usually attached well to slightly below summit of hypanthium, filaments uneqal in length.Carpels 2 to numerous, connate; ovary superior to rarely inferior, with axiale placentation. Ovules 2 to numerous in each locule. Nectaries often at base of hypanthium.
Leaf characters
opposite, less often whorled or alternate; simple, entire; with pinnate venetation
Stipules
present, vestigal, appearing as a row of minute hairs
Fruit characters
Usually a dry, variously dehiscent capsule, occasionally a berry. Seeds usually flattened and/or winged.
Hairs
present, various, sometimes silicified
Uses
Cuphea, Lagerstroemia and Lythrum provide ornamentals. Berries of Punica contains numerous seeds with red, fleshy, and edible seed coats
Chemical characters
often flavonoids, occasionally alkaloids. cyanogene glycosids lacking.
Distribution maps
(online von http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb/ . Dort zitiert wie unter jedem Diagramm vermerkt):
