Fungal and Plant Diversity of Central French Guiana

CYCLANTHACEAE (Panama Hat Family)

Scott A. Mori

Terrestrial or epiphytic herbs or lianas. Leaves distichous or spirally arranged; petiole basally sheathing; blade usually divided (bifid), plicate, and often palm-like, less frequently not divided and lance-shaped. Inflorescence an unbranched, pedunculate spadix, subtended by deciduous spathes. Flowers often nocturnal (at least some species pollinated by beetles according to Gottsberger, 1991), staminate and pistillate flowers separate (plants monoecious), densely clustered, either with distinct central pistillate flower surrounded by four distinct staminate flowers or, as in Cyclanthus, with indistinct staminate and pistillate flowers in stacked, separate rings. Staminate flowers, when distinct, with inconspicuous perianth, the stamens 6-numerous, the anthers with longitudinal dehiscence. Pistillate flowers, when distinct, with 4 small, free or connate tepals, each with a filamentous staminode opposite it; ovary inferior or subinferior, 4-carpelate, ± sunken in central core of spadix, unilocular, the placentation usually parietal to less frequently nearly apical. Fruits berries partially or completely fused together to form a multiple fruit, indehiscent or irregularly dehiscent (cf. Carludovica and Cyclanthus). Seeds usually numerous.

Literature Cited

Gottsberger, G. 1991. Pollination of some species of the Carludovicoideae, and remarks on the origin and evolution of the Cyclanthaceae. Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 113: 221-235.