Ascarina

Taxobox

---

image_width = 240px
image_caption = "Ascarina polystachya" from Tahiti.
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
familia = Chloranthaceae
genus = "Ascarina"
genus_authority = J. R. Forst. & G. Forst., 1776
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision ="Ascarina coursii" "Ascarina lucida" "Ascarina philippinensis" "Ascarina polystachya" "Ascarina rubricaulis"

"Ascarina" is a plant genus of fewer than 20 species of small trees in the family Chloranthaceae. "Ascarina" are usually tropical cloud forest species that require high humidity and regular rainfall to thrive. The name comes from the "Ascaris" worm; the anthers of the "Ascarina" flower are thought to look similar to the worm. Most species are dioecious, producing unisexual male or female flowers on separate plants. However, "Ascarina lucida", the only species in New Zealand, is monoecious.cite journal | last = Moore | first = Lucy B. | year = 1977 | title = The flowers of "Ascarina lucida" Hook. f. (Chloranthaceae) | journal = New Zealand Journal of Botany | volume = 15 | pages = 491–494 | url=http://www.rsnz.org/publish/nzjb/1977/25.pdf | format=pdf ]

The basic chromosome number for the genus is "n"=13,cite journal | last = Okada | first = Hiroshi | year = 1995 | title = Karyological studies of four genera of the Chloranthaceae | journal = Plant Systematics and Evolution | volume = 195 | issue = 3-4 | pages = 177–185 | url=http://www.springerlink.com/content/qx13803m33403454/ | doi = 10.1007/BF00989294 ] although some species have "n"=14.cite journal | last = Carr | first = Gerald D. | coauthors = Gordon McPherson | year = 1986 | title = Chromosome numbers of New Caledonian plants | journal = Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden | volume = 73 | issue = 2 | pages = 486–489 | url=http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0026-6493(1986)73:2%3C486:CNONCP%3E2.0.CO;2-Q | doi = 10.2307/2399127 ] The chromosome morphology is similar to that of "Chloranthus".

References

External links

* [http://insidewood.lib.ncsu.edu/search/index.cfm?e=fulldescription&q=975 Micrographs of wood sections of "Ascarina philippinensis"]