THE COMPARATIVE MORPHOLOGY OF THE CANELLACEAE. IV. FLORAL MORPHOLOGY AND CONCLUSIONS

Abstract

The morphology and anatomy of 105 flowers representing 13 species and 6 genera of the Canellaceae are summarized. The flowers are borne in axillary or terminal racemes, cymes, or small groups, or solitary, in an axillary or terminal position. The flowers are characterized as follows: bisexual, hypogynous; sepals 3, thick and leathery; petals, 5–12, free or united into tube at base, rather thick, in 1 or 2 whorls and/or spirals; androecium of 6–12 stamens united by their filaments forming a tube, anthers with longitudinal extrorse dehiscence; gynoecium of 2–6 carpels fused by their ventral margins; 2–6 placentae. There are 2 vascular bundles (rarely 3) to each sepal, 3 to each petal (some of the inner petals have only 1), 1 to each stamen and 1 trace to each carpel. The petal and stamen bundles have a common origin. All the data accumulated in this series on the Canellaceae indicate that the correct systematic placement of the Canellaceae is in the woody Ranales, perhaps in a complex with the Myristicaceae.