Monimiaceae

plant family

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Last updated

June 30, 2026

Quick Summary

The Monimiaceae is a family of flowering plants belonging to the order Laurales. This family consists of about 200 species spread across 22 genera. Members of Monimiaceae are typically evergreen trees or shrubs, with some species also being woody vines. They are predominantly found in tropical and subtropical regions, with a notable presence in the warmer parts of the Southern Hemisphere.1

The leaves of Monimiaceae plants are generally simple and arranged oppositely. Their flowers can be unisexual or bisexual and are usually perigynous, meaning the ovary is partially enclosed by a receptacle. The stamens in these flowers often have paired appendages that function as nectaries. The type genus for this family is Monimia, which includes shrubs native to the Mascarene Islands.123

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Laurales
Monimiaceae
Members of Monimiaceae are evergreen trees or shrubs, rarely woody vines (lianas). The leaves are simple and mostly oppositely arranged. The flowers are unisexual or bisexual and are usually perigynous with a well-developed receptacle. The tepals are inconspicuous and rarely differentiated into sepals and…
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Members of Monimiaceae are evergreen trees or shrubs, rarely woody vines (lianas). The leaves are simple and mostly oppositely arranged. The flowers are unisexual or bisexual and are usually perigynous with a well-developed receptacle. The tepals are inconspicuous and rarely differentiated into sepals and…
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Laurales
Distribution and abundance
The second largest family, Monimiaceae, has 22 genera and 200 species, less than 10 percent of Laurales species. This family is also found in tropical and subtropical regions, but it is less extensively distributed and occurs mainly in the warmer areas of the Southern Hemisphere. The type genus, Monimia,…
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The second largest family, Monimiaceae, has 22 genera and 200 species, less than 10 percent of Laurales species. This family is also found in tropical and subtropical regions, but it is less extensively distributed and occurs mainly in the warmer areas of the Southern Hemisphere. The type genus, Monimia,…
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magnoliid clade
Reproduction and life cycles
…sorts occurs in Laurelia (Monimiaceae) and Beilschmiedia (Lauraceae) of the order Laurales: in some of these pollen grains are two-celled, in others they are three-celled, and in still others the sperm cells are in the process of forming as the pollen is liberated.
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…sorts occurs in Laurelia (Monimiaceae) and Beilschmiedia (Lauraceae) of the order Laurales: in some of these pollen grains are two-celled, in others they are three-celled, and in still others the sperm cells are in the process of forming as the pollen is liberated.
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