''Sphenostemon'' is the genus of small evergreen trees or shrubs native to New Guinea, Queensland (Australia) and

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

. They have opposite or spiral leaves, and at most small stipules. The small flowers, borne in terminal inflorescences, have free (i.e. unjoined) sepals and

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s. The

anther The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filam ...

s have thick filaments. The fruit, a

berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...

, is fleshy and contains two seeds. The genus is described as "particularly poorly known".

Taxonomy

In the 2009

APG III system The APG III system of flowering plant classification is the third version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy being developed by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG). Published in 2009, it was superseded in 2016 by a fur ...

, the genus is placed in the family

Paracryphiaceae The Paracryphiaceae are a family of woody shrubs and trees native to Australia, southeast Asia, and New Caledonia. In the APG III system of 2009, the family is placed in its own order, Paracryphiales, in the campanulid clade of the asterids. In ...

, along with ''

Paracryphia ''Paracryphia'' is a genus of a single species, ''Paracryphia alticola'', a small tree or shrub endemic to New Caledonia in the family Paracryphiaceae. Its closest relative is ''Sphenostemon ''Sphenostemon'' is the genus of small evergreen tre ...

'' and '' Quintinia''. The earlier APG II system placed it alone in family Sphenostemonaceae.

References

Asterid genera Paracryphiales Taxa named by Henri Ernest Baillon {{asterid-stub