Cyclanthaceae

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Cyclanthaceae A family of palm-like plants which may be rhizomatous (see RHIZOME) herbs, shrubs, or root-climbers. The leaves are always very deeply bilobed and plicate. The flowers are unisexual, and borne on axillary spadices (see SPADIX) enclosed in conspicuous bracts (spathes). The fruit is a fleshy syncarp, and brightly coloured. There are 11 genera, with 190 species, occurring in tropical America.