- Related Topics:
- Hibbertia
- Dillenia
- Dillenia indica
- Hibbertia scandens
- Dilleniales
Dilleniaceae
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What is the Dilleniaceae plant family?
The Dilleniaceae family comprises around 300 species of trees, shrubs, and woody vines found in tropical and subtropical regions. Recognizable features include strong, parallel secondary veins leading to leaf teeth, ladderlike fine venation, rough leaf blades, and rich brown bark.
Flowers in this family are typically radially symmetric and bisexual, featuring overlapping sepals and petals, numerous stamens, and separate ovule-bearing structures. While Dilleniaceae flowers generally lack nectaries, their arillate seeds are likely dispersed by birds. Some Dillenia species have fruits the size of cannonballs that may be dispersed by elephants.
The larger genera within Dilleniaceae include Hibbertia, Dillenia, Tetracera, Doliocarpus, and Davilla. Certain Dillenia species provide timber and tannin, while Dillenia indica is valued for its scented flowers and lemon-flavored fruits, which are used in jellies and curries. Several Hibbertia species, notably H. scandens, are cultivated as ornamentals.
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Where are Dilleniaceae plants commonly found?
Dilleniaceae is a family of flowering plants with around 300 species of trees, shrubs, and woody vines (rarely herbs) found in the tropics and subtropics. Genera include Hibbertia (115 species), which grows from Madagascar to Fiji, with over 100 species in Australia, Dillenia (60 species), from Madagascar to Australia, Tetracera (40 species), through Indo-Malesia, and Doliocarpus (40 species) and Davilla (20 species), both in the Neotropics.
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What are some common features of Dilleniaceae plants?
Dilleniaceae is a family of flowering plants containing around 300 species of trees, shrubs, and woody vines, or rarely herbs, found in the tropics and subtropics.
Common characteristics of Dilleniaceae include strong, parallel secondary veins that extend directly into the leaf teeth, ladderlike fine venation, rough leaf blades, and rich brown bark. Their flowers are radially symmetric and usually bisexual, featuring overlapping sepals and petals, numerous stamens, and separate carpels that develop into shiny follicles with seeds covered by a fleshy aril.
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Which are some well-known genera or species in the Dilleniaceae family?
The Dilleniaceae family consists of around 300 species within 11 genera of trees, shrubs, and woody vines, mainly in the tropics and subtropics.
Well-known genera and species include:
* Hibbertia Over 100 species of Hibbertia grow in Australia. Some species of Hibbertia are plants of dry and open habitats; they have very reduced leaves and flattened stems that are the main photosynthetic organ of the plant.
* Dillenia D. indica is valued for its scented flowers and lemon-flavored fruits used in jellies and curries.
* Tetracera Grows through much of Indo-Malesia.
* Doliocarpus Restricted to the Neotropics.
* Davilla Restricted to the Neotropics.2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How do the flowers of Dilleniaceae plants look and function?
Dilleniaceae flowers are radially symmetrical and usually bisexual. They typically have three to many overlapping sepals (usually five), and five overlapping petals that are crumpled in bud.
Flowers of Dilleniaceae generally lack nectaries and are likely visited by generalist pollinators.
To prevent self-pollination and promote genetic diversity, plants have developed various mechanisms, including structural features like heterostyly, or variation in the length of the style (neck of the pistil).
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How do Dilleniaceae plants contribute to their ecosystems?
Dilleniaceae is a family of flowering plants with about 300 species of trees, shrubs, and woody vines found in the tropics and subtropics.
Dilleniaceae plants contribute to their ecosystems through several roles:
* Food source Some species of Dillenia produce lemon-flavored fruits that are used in jellies and curries. The fruits of other species are also used similarly.
* Habitat They grow from Madagascar to Fiji and throughout much of Indo-Malesia and the Neotropics.
* Pollination Flowers of Dilleniaceae attract generalist pollinators.
* Seed dispersal The arillate seeds are dispersed by birds, while some Dillenia species, like D. indica, have large fruits that may be dispersed by elephants.
* Ornamentals A number of species, especially those in the genus Hibbertia, are used as ornamentals.1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Dilleniaceae, family of flowering plants (order Dilleniales), with 11 genera and about 300 species of trees, shrubs, and woody vines (or rarely herbs) of the tropics and subtropics. A number of species, especially those in the genus Hibbertia, are used as ornamentals.
Taxonomically, Dilleniaceae has had a checkered history. It was formerly considered to be an evolutionary link between the more “primitive” Magnoliales (the magnolia order) and several more “advanced” orders such as Theales (the tea or camellia order) and Violales (the violet order). However, in the 2003 Angiosperm Phylogeny Group II botanical classification system (APG II), Theales was moved to Ericales, Violales was moved to Malpighiales, and none of the three orders (Magnoliales, Ericales, and Malpighiales) is thought to be particularly close to Dilleniaceae. As an order, Dilleniales sometimes included Paeoniaceae (the peony family), but this family is now treated as a member of Saxifragales (the saxifrage order). Although the 2009 APG III system removed Dilleniaceae from Dilleniales, and its position within the core eudicots was uncertain, the 2016 APG IV system reinstated the order in the core eudicots. For more information on the APG IV system, see angiosperm.
Dilleniaceae are recognizable by the often strong and parallel secondary veins that proceed straight into the leaf teeth. Ladderlike fine venation is quite common in the family; the leaf blade is often rough; and the bark is often rich brown. The pedicels (flower stalks) persist after the flowers fall off. The flowers are radially symmetric and usually bisexual, with three to many (but usually five) overlapping sepals, usually five overlapping petals that are crumpled in bud, numerous stamens, and several separate ovule-bearing structures (carpels), each developing into a shiny follicle with one to many seeds covered by a fleshy aril.
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Members of Dilleniaceae are quite variable in how they grow, and this is especially true of Hibbertia. Some species of Hibbertia are plants of dry and open habitats; they have very reduced leaves and flattened stems that are the main photosynthetic organ of the plant. Hibbertia also has exceptionally variable flowers. In general, flowers of Dilleniaceae lack nectaries and are probably usually visited by rather generalist pollinators. The arillate seeds are probably dispersed by birds, but in some species of Dillenia the fruits are completely surrounded by the sepals, which grow enormously after flowering. D. indica has fruits the size of cannonballs, which may be dispersed by elephants.
Larger genera in the order include Hibbertia (115 species), which grows from Madagascar to Fiji (more than 100 species grow in Australia), Dillenia (60 species), growing from Madagascar to Australia, Tetracera (40 species), growing through much of Indo-Malesia (see Malesian subkingdom), and Doliocarpus (40 species) and Davilla (20 species), both restricted to the Neotropics.
A few species of Dillenia are useful for their timber and as a source of tannin. D. indica, a tree native to Southeast Asia but widely planted elsewhere, is valued for its scented flowers and lemon-flavoured fruits used in jellies and curries. Fruits of other species of the genus have similar uses. Several species of Hibbertia are grown as ornamentals, especially H. scandens, a woody vine with yellow ill-smelling flowers, which is grown mainly in warm areas or in greenhouses.