Combretaceae

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Combretaceae A family of trees, shrubs, and climbers, in which the flowers are pentamerous, with an inferior ovary surmounted by a disc. The fruits are often winged, and sometimes are fleshy and edible. Lumnitzera and Laguncularia grow in mangrove forests and are viviparous. There are several ornamentals (e.g. Quisqualis), and many useful timber trees (e.g. Combretum, Lumnitzera, and Terminalia). There are 20 genera, with about 500 species, occurring mainly in the tropics.