Myristicaceae - Nutmeg family

Dioecious or monoecious, often aromatic, evergreen trees, rarely lianes, with coloured latex. Leaves alternate, simple, entire, often gland-dotted. Stipules 0. Indumentum of stellate, T-shaped or uniseriate hairs. Inflorescences (in ours) paniculate or capitate; bracts usually present; bracteoles usually 0. Flowers small, unisexual, actinomorphic; perianth 3-4-lobed. Male flowers: stamens 2-30; filaments partially or competely fused into a column; anthers 2-6, 2-thecous, adnate to the column; rudimentary gynoecium 0. Female flowers: carpel 1; ovary superior; style small or 0; stigmas 2-lobed; ovule 1. Fruit a drupe, usually splitting into 2 valves. Seeds often enclosed by a brightly-coloured fleshy aril. Endosperm abundant, oily.

Worldwide: 19 genera and 400 species in the tropics

Zambia: 2 genera and 2 taxa.