Botanical Family · Ericales

Lecythidaceae

Lecythis Or Brasil Nut Family

6 speciesOrder Ericales6+ well-known plants

The Lecythidaceae family (Lecythis Or Brasil Nut Family) is a botanical family placed in the order Ericales. In the SASYA catalogue it spans 6 species across 4 genera. Its members are predominantly trees. Well-represented genera include Barringtonia, Careya and Couroupita. Several members are valued in traditional medicine. Familiar examples include Indian Oak Tree, Fish Poison Tree and Seaside Indian oak.

Browse all 6 species ↓

Representative specimen · Lecythidaceae

Key pattern

Large, often leathery alternate leaves on trees with a showy ring or hood of stamens curving over the flower's centre like a hinged lid; the woody fruit, as in the true Brazil nut, opens through a cap-like lid (operculum) to release its seeds.

The stamens fuse at their base into a hood that arches over the flower — a structure so distinctive it alone can place a tree in this family from a single fallen flower.

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Family identification method

To check whether a plant belongs to Lecythidaceae, compare the leaf arrangement, leaf type, flower symmetry, fruit type, and one distinctive marker together. A single feature can mislead; the family pattern is the combination.

Learn the full family-identification method

Notable members

Indian Oak Tree, Small Indain OakBarringtonia acutangulaFish Poison TreeBarringtonia asiaticaSeaside Indian Oak, Fish-Killer Tree, Freshwater Mangrove, Putat KampungBarringtonia racemosaCeylon Oak Tree, Wild Guava, Kumbi Tree, Patana Oak, Slow Match Tree, Wild GuavaCareya arboreaCannon-Ball TreeCouroupita guianensisStink WoodGustavia augusta

Families that can look similar

Balsaminaceae

Compare against Balsaminaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.

Compare Balsaminaceae

Ebenaceae

Compare against Ebenaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.

Compare Ebenaceae

Sapotaceae

Compare against Sapotaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.

Compare Sapotaceae

Myrsinaceae

Compare against Myrsinaceae when the plant shares similar leaves, flowers, or fruit. Confirm by checking the full family pattern.

Compare Myrsinaceae

All 6 species in LECYTHIDACEAE

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