蜡烛果属 la zhu guo shu

Shrubs or small trees. Leaves alternate or subopposite. Inflorescences terminal or rarely axillary, umbellate. Flowers bisexual, 5-merous. Corolla campanulate, united into a tube; lobes ovate or ovate-lanceolate, imbricate, overlapping to right in bud, recurved or reflexed at anthesis, not glandular. Basal part of filaments united into a tube as long as corolla tube, distal part free, exserted; anthers ovate, 2-celled, dehiscing longitudinally, transversely septate. Ovary superior; ovules numerous, within a globose placenta. Style elongated; stigma apiculate. Fruit elongated, terete, curved, 1-seeded capsules; exocarp dry, crustaceous, dehiscing by a longitudinal fissure or separating into 2 fragments along back and front; endocarp somewhat fleshy; persistent calyx compactly enclosing fruit base. Seeds occupying whole cavity; embryo terete, curved.

Two species: India, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Australia; one species in China.

Lower Taxon

• Aegiceras corniculatum (Linnaeus) Blanco