WOOD ANATOMY AND SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF STREPHONEMA

S ummary The wood anatomy of Strephonema peudocola A. Chev. has been compared with the known members of Lythraceae and the Combretaceae in which this genus has been allied by some authors. The comparison shows that this species has little in common with Lythraceae but that certain xylotomical features point to a relationship between Strephonema and a few of the Combretacean taxa. Nevertheless the distinctiveness of the wood structure when considered together with half inferior condition of the ovary probably merit separation of Strephonema from the Combretaceae into a separate monogeneric family, the Strephonemataceae; this family is to be considered allied to Combretaceae.