HAMAMELIDACEAE
Trees or shrubs, deciduous; younger parts and flowers stellate pubescent. Leaves alternate, simple, petiolate, pinnately or palmately veined; stipules early caducous. Flowers small, arranged in heads, rarely in spikes or racemes, bisexual or unisexual, actinomorphic, epigynous or perigynous, rarely hypogynous. Calyx persistent, 4 or 5(-10), free, sometimes calyx absent. Petals 4 or 5 (or 6), free, yellow, white, greenish or red, often ribbon-like and circinate in bud, caducous; corolla sometimes absent. Stamens 4, 5 or many (up to 34), free; anthers basifixed, dehiscence of thecae by 2 valves or one longitudinal slit. Bicarpellary syncarpous; ovary inferior or half- inferior, rarely superior, 2- locular, 1(-2) ovule per loculus, apical, sometimes many, but then mostly sterile, placentation axile; styles and stigma 2, persistent. Fruit capsular, dehiscing at the top splitting each style into 2. Pericarp hard. Seeds 1- many.
26 genera and 94 species
