Wood anatomy of corynocarpaceae is consistent with cucurbitalean placement

Corynocarpaceae group closely with Coriariaceae and Cucurbitaceae by axial parenchyma types (vasicentric scanty plus apotracheal banded plus ray-adjac ent, all in strands of 1-2 cells) and Homogeneous Type II rays. Begoniaceae , Datiscaceae s. s., and Tetramelaceae group on the basis of absence of ban ded axial parenchyma and subdivision of the vasicentric parenchyma into str ands of 3-5 cells. All of the families of Cucurbitales (except Anisophyllea ceae) have two unusual features: minimal borders on perforation plates and unusually wide multiseriate rays (not accompanied by uniseriate rays). All of the families except Anisophylleaceae have another unusual feature, stori ed fusiform cambial initials. Anisophylleaceae have several wood features m ore primitive than those of other Cucurbitales (tracheids, aliform axial pa renchyma, nonstoried cambial initials), but the family is not necessarily e xcluded from Cucurbitales. Data on wood of Colynocarpaceae are derived from samples of three species of Corynocarpus; possible specific characters are offered.