Hernandiaceae

Hernandiaceae is a small family of flowering plants in the order Proteales. It comprises two genera, Hernandia and Gyrocarpus, with roughly 15 species in total. The group is tropical and subtropical, with species found in Africa, Asia, the Americas, and the Pacific Islands. Members commonly inhabit lowland forests, but some range into montane areas or coastal and island habitats.

Plants in Hernandiaceae are typically woody, presenting as trees or shrubs. Leaves are usually simple and alternately arranged. The flowers are small and inconspicuous, and the family shows a tendency toward unisexual flowers, with separate male and female specimens in many species. Reproductive biology varies among the genera, but dioecy is common in Hernandia, and flower structures are adapted to wind or small pollinators.

The fruiting structures of Hernandiaceae are diverse between the two genera. Fruits are generally fleshy or drupaceous in form and are often adapted for animal dispersal, which helps explain the broad tropical distribution of the family. Seed morphology also varies between Hernandia and Gyrocarpus and is characteristic of their respective fruit types.

Taxonomically, Hernandiaceae is placed in the order Proteales by modern classification systems such as APG IV. The family is interpreted as a small, tropically distributed lineage with limited species richness, and it has no major commercial crops, though it contributes to the biodiversity of tropical forests. Conservation status varies by species and region, with some taxa potentially threatened by habitat loss.