Picrodendraceae

The Picrodendraceae is a family of plants that includes 80 species across 24 genera. These plants are primarily found in tropical regions, with a notable presence in New Guinea, Australia, and New Caledonia, though species also extend to the Americas, Africa, and Madagascar.1

Picrodendraceae species are generally described as unremarkable in appearance, featuring small flowers that lack distinct sepals and petals. Their leaves are often opposite, toothed, and pinnately veined, accompanied by stipules. A characteristic feature is that their seeds frequently possess a small, fleshy appendage at one end, which aids in seed dispersal. This family was formerly grouped with Euphorbiaceae and shares the trait of having explosive capsules with two ovules per chamber. In some classifications, the family is considered coextensive with the genus Picrodendron.12