Kingdom Plantae Rank Genus | Family Pandanaceae Order Pandanales | |
 | ||
Similar Sararanga, Pandanales, Benstonea, Pandanus hornei, Freycinetia | ||
Martellidendron is a genus of flowering plants in the family Pandanaceae, native to the Seychelles and Madagascar. They resemble palms, but are not closely related to palms. The genus Martellidendron, previously recognized as a section of the genus Pandanus, was separated in 2003 on the basis of phylogenetic studies that used chloroplast DNA sequence data.
Contents
Martellidendron comprises seven species.
Morphology
Martellidendron plants are dioecious, that is, the male and female flower are on separate plants. The male flowers have many stamens (as many as 100). and grow in an inflorescence that consists of spikes surrounded by bracts. As the female flowers mature, they merge into an oblong or spherical multiple fruit. An individual fruit is a drupe with two chambers.