Hymenocardia

Dioecious trees or shrubs. Stipules present. Leaves alternate, simple, entire, with domatia and golden glands beneath. Male inflorescences axillary (in ours), laxly spicate or ± paniculate; female terminal, few-flowered. Male flowers: calyx cup-shaped, with 4-6(-8) imbricate lobes; petals 0; disk 0; stamens 4-6; pistillode present. Female flowers: sepals 4-6(-9); petals 0; disk 0; ovary 2-locular; ovules 2 per loculus; styles 2. Fruit 2-coccous, flattened, winged, dehiscent or not. Seeds 1 per coccus, flat, winged or not.

Hymenocardia is a genus of trees in the family Phyllanthaceae first described as a genus in 1836. Most of the species are native to Africa, with one in Southeast Asia.

Species in this genus are dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants.

Species Hymenocardia acida - from Gambia to Ethiopia to Mozambique Hymenocardia heudelotii - W + C Africa Hymenocardia lyrata - W Africa Hymenocardia punctata - Mishmi Hills, Indochina, W Malaysia, Sumatra Hymenocardia ripicola - Cameroon, RotC, DRC Hymenocardia ulmoides - C + E + S Africa formerly included

moved to Mallotus

Hymenocardia plicata - Mallotus plicatus