The
Hamamelidae
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8 genera
and
about 900 species of trees and shrubs; distributed
world
wide, except southern Africa with maximum diversity in the North
temperate
zone - 3
genera and 51 species in Texas with over 20 hybrids.
Significant features:
Like the Ulmaceae (Urticales) and Juglandaceae (Juglandales),
this family includes common and
important elements of North temperate
deciduous forests world wides.
Distinctive by their 'amentiferous' floral structures combined with
alternate,
simple
leaves and a distinctive fruiting structure. The true
fruit
is a nut, but this is subtended by involucre
of
the pistillate flower. Like taxa of the Juglandaceae,
the mature
seed
contains a fully developed embryo which provides a high protein/oil
food
product for both wildlife (ecological importance) and humans (economic
importance).
Return to the Biology
301 homepage, or the Hamamelidae
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