''Rhodostemonodaphne'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family

Lauraceae Lauraceae, or the laurels, is a plant family that includes the true laurel and its closest relatives. This family comprises about 2850 known species in about 45 genera worldwide (Christenhusz & Byng 2016 ). They are dicotyledons, and occur ma ...

. It is a neotropical genus consisting of approximately 41 species occurring in Central America and northern South America. This genus has many species that are valued for timber. The

classification Classification is a process related to categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated and understood. Classification is the grouping of related facts into classes. It may also refer to: Business, organizat ...

of the genus is unclear since the species in the genus fall into a well-supported but unresolved

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

that also includes species with unisexual flowers currently placed in the genera '' Endlicheria'' and part of '' Ocotea''.

Description

''Rhodostemonodaphne'' are shrubs and trees up to 30 m tall, mostly hardwood evergreen trees. They are

dioecious Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...

(male and female flowers are on separate trees). The stamens have four locelli situated in a shallow arch towards the apex of the anthers. The leaves are alternately arranged, elliptic with recurved margins, and thin (chartaceous). The inflorescence of small flowers is a panicle with racemose terminations.

Species

References

* Lauraceae genera Dioecious plants Neotropical realm flora Lauraceae {{Laurales-stub