Taxon Details: Cecropiaceae
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Narratives:
Family:
Cecropiaceae (Magnoliophyta)
Cecropiaceae (Magnoliophyta)
Scientific Name:
Cecropiaceae
Cecropiaceae
Common Names:
Cecropia Family
Cecropia Family
Description:
Number of genera: 6
Number of species: 276
Description (from PLANTAE): Trees or shrubs, sometimes hemiepiphytic. Dioecious. Sap sometimes colored, usually darkening when dry. Stem internodes sometimes hollow. Sap sometimes darkening when dry. Roots sometimes adventitious, stilt or aerial. Stipules usually large, nearly or entirely amplexicaul, connate, caducous and often leaving a distinct scar. Leaves alternate, simple, sometimes appearing palmately compound, the blades basifixed or peltate, often palmately lobed; venation pinnate, palmate or radiate. Inflorescences axillary, solitary or paired, simple or branched, paniculate, subumbellate, capitate or pedunculate with apical, digitate spikes at first enclosed in large conical bracts resembeling the stipules (spathes). Flowers actinompophic, unisexual, small; perianth uniseriate; tepals 2-4, distinct or connate and tubular; stamens 1-4, antipetalous, the filaments straight in bud, free or fused (then thecae 4 or 6); ovary superior, carpels 2, 1-locular, the style 1, elongate, the stigma peltate, comose or penicillate; placentation basal, the ovule 1. Fruits achenes, small to large (1 mm to > 1 cm), surrounded by accrescent, sometimes fleshy perianth, aggregated in heads, spikes, subumbels or panicles. Seeds small or large
Taxonomic notes (from PLANTAE): Family status is a recent innovation, with most genera having come out of a more narrowly defined Moraceae and one from the Urticaceae (southeast Asian Poikilospermum). The family is placed among the Urticales with which it shares the presence of laticifers or cystoliths, presence of stipules, mostly simple leaves, the flowers small, unisexual, apetalous, the stamens usually equal in number and opposite the sepals, the ovary usually 2-carpelate, 1-locular, the ovules 1, solitary. Recent molecular studies place the genera among an expanded Urticaceae, apart from the Moraceae.
Distribution (from PLANTAE): Pantropical, the genera mostly neotropical and African with most species in neotropics, especially South America. Principally in the humid lowlands and sometimes dominant in disturbed habitats.
Economic uses (from PLANTAE): Principally adapted to disturbed habitats, suggested by features such as fast growth, abundant, small seeds that are produced throughout the year. No species are economically important.
Number of genera: 6
Number of species: 276
Description (from PLANTAE): Trees or shrubs, sometimes hemiepiphytic. Dioecious. Sap sometimes colored, usually darkening when dry. Stem internodes sometimes hollow. Sap sometimes darkening when dry. Roots sometimes adventitious, stilt or aerial. Stipules usually large, nearly or entirely amplexicaul, connate, caducous and often leaving a distinct scar. Leaves alternate, simple, sometimes appearing palmately compound, the blades basifixed or peltate, often palmately lobed; venation pinnate, palmate or radiate. Inflorescences axillary, solitary or paired, simple or branched, paniculate, subumbellate, capitate or pedunculate with apical, digitate spikes at first enclosed in large conical bracts resembeling the stipules (spathes). Flowers actinompophic, unisexual, small; perianth uniseriate; tepals 2-4, distinct or connate and tubular; stamens 1-4, antipetalous, the filaments straight in bud, free or fused (then thecae 4 or 6); ovary superior, carpels 2, 1-locular, the style 1, elongate, the stigma peltate, comose or penicillate; placentation basal, the ovule 1. Fruits achenes, small to large (1 mm to > 1 cm), surrounded by accrescent, sometimes fleshy perianth, aggregated in heads, spikes, subumbels or panicles. Seeds small or large
Taxonomic notes (from PLANTAE): Family status is a recent innovation, with most genera having come out of a more narrowly defined Moraceae and one from the Urticaceae (southeast Asian Poikilospermum). The family is placed among the Urticales with which it shares the presence of laticifers or cystoliths, presence of stipules, mostly simple leaves, the flowers small, unisexual, apetalous, the stamens usually equal in number and opposite the sepals, the ovary usually 2-carpelate, 1-locular, the ovules 1, solitary. Recent molecular studies place the genera among an expanded Urticaceae, apart from the Moraceae.
Distribution (from PLANTAE): Pantropical, the genera mostly neotropical and African with most species in neotropics, especially South America. Principally in the humid lowlands and sometimes dominant in disturbed habitats.
Economic uses (from PLANTAE): Principally adapted to disturbed habitats, suggested by features such as fast growth, abundant, small seeds that are produced throughout the year. No species are economically important.