Lythraceae

=Family description=
 * Herbs, shrubs and trees**, usually of seasonal climates and on light rich places.
 * Leaves** opposite, simple, on twigs that are slightly winged or four-ridged when young. No stipules, but sometimes small glands at the nodes near the twig apex.
 * Flowers** are placed in terminal open inflorescences, colourful but no smell, bisexual, radially symmetric, with the sepals forming a lobed, cup-shaped calyx, petals clawed, free, wrinkled, ovary usually superior, with 3-4-locules.
 * Fruit** a dry capsule enclosed by persistent floral tube, seeds winged or not, numerous.

=General info=
 * Distribution** Pan-tropical. About 600 species in 30 genera.
 * Ecology** Mostly seasonal forests and open, light rich places (long lived pioneers). Almost completely absent in everwet forests. Some genera common in mangroves.
 * Uses** Ornamentals, timber, dyes.
 * Similar to** Crypteroniaceae, but these have unisexual flowers. Melastomataceae (//Memecylon//), but these have translucent dots and an inferior ovary.

=Treated genera=
 * Duabanga (always opposite leaves, clear looping veins, petals ???)
 * Lagerstroemia (leaves opposite and alternate, free ending to looping veins, petals wrinkled)

[|Myrtales.pdf]

Duabanga moluccana

Lagerstroemia speciosa