136 Phaleria 
THYMELAEACEAE 
Annual herbs to trees. Stipules absent or vestigial. Leaves simple, entire. Inflorescences various, 
often in dense involucrate heads. Flowers mostly actinomorphic, usually with well-developed 
hypanthium. Sepals petaloid, (3)4-5(6). Petals present or in NT species absent. Stamens usually 
2-10, free or adnate to hypanthium, often in 2 whorls. Ovary superior, 1-12-locular; ovules | per 
locule, pendulous; style simple. Fruit indehiscent or rarely capsular. 
A world wide family of 55-60 genera and over 500 species in Africa, SE Asia to Australia. In Australia 
9 genera; 5 genera in the NT, 2 occur in the DR: [Rye & Heads, 1990] 
18 Shrubs in rainforests flowers: white srrarcrecrstit teeciiiiaceencstietetsrssseesepssonssgaeteseensttapsetetertart Phaleria 
18) Herbs in openiforest; flowers red locsstssssccccctesesssrsisltscseteetsecevceeosthereseglastesesseisnsessdieloionsssscates Thecanthes 
PHALERIA Jack 
A genus of 25-30 species, from Sri Lanka to Polynesia and northern Australia. Three species in Australia, 
2 occur in the NT and | in the DR. 
P. octandra (L.) Baillon 
Shrub to 3 m high. Stems glabrous. Leaves 
opposite, glabrous; petioles 5-8 mm long; blades 
elliptic, 75-230 mm long, 40-90 mm wide, L/W 
2-3.1, acuminate. Inflorescences of 8-25-flowered, 
mostly terminal clusters; involucral bracts 4, 
elliptic, c. 7 mm long; peduncle 2.5-7 mm long, with 
Phaleria 
P. octandra 
Fig. 42 
rows of small imbricate bracts. Flowers + sessile on 
swollen receptacle, white, minutely tomentose. 
Hypanthium 10-17 mm long. Sepals 4-5, + elliptic, 
4-7 mm long. Stamens 8, exserted, adnate to 
hypanthium but free in upper part of hypanthium. 
Ovary 2-locular. Fruit succulent, red, broadly 
pyriform, 1-2-seeded. Flowering and fruiting: Nov - 
Mar. Fig. 42 
Thecanthes 
T. punicea 
