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Cryptocarya
	Cryptocarya alba
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Magnoliids
Order:	Laurales
Family:	Lauraceae
Genus:	Cryptocarya; R.Br.
Species
	Over 360; See List of Cryptocarya species
Synonyms
	Agathophyllum Juss.; Caryodaphne Blume ex Nees; Dahlgrenodendron J.J.M.van der Merwe & A.E.van Wyk; Evodia Gaertn.; Icosandra Phil.; Kerrdora Gagnep.; Massoia Becc.; Pseudocryptocarya Teschner; Ravensara Sonn.; Salgada Blanco;

Cryptocarya is a genus of about 360 species^[1] of flowering plants in the laurel family, Lauraceae. Most species are trees, occasionally shrubs, distributed through the Neotropical, Afrotropical, Indomalayan, and Australasian realms. Most plants in the genus Cryptocarya have leaves arranged alternately along the stems, small flowers with 6 tepals, stamens in 2 rows, the inner row alternating with staminodes, and the fruit is a drupe.

Description

Plants in the genus Cryptocarya are trees, occasionally shrubs, the leaves usually arranged alternately along the branches. The leaves are petiolate and pinnately-veined. The flowers are arranged in cymes, racemes or panicles in leaf axils usually at the ends of branches and often appearing as if on the ends of the branches. The flowers have both male and female parts, with 6 tepals usually erect as the flower opens, and 9 stamens in 2 rows, the inner row of 3 alternating with staminodes. The ovary is sessile, usually with an inconspicuous stigma and the fruit is an elliptic to spherical, fleshy drupe, containing a single seed.^[2]^[3]^[4]

Taxonomy

The genus Cryptocarya was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown in his Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen.^[1]^[5] The genus name Cryptocarya means 'hidden nut', referring to the fruit that is hidden by the tepals.^[6]

In a recent generic classification of Lauraceae based on DNA sequence, Cryptocarya was found to be part of a strongly supported clade that also includes Beilschmiedia, Potameia, Endiandra and Endiandra.^[7]

Species list

See List of Cryptocarya species.

Distribution

Species of Cryptocarya are found in some parts of South America, southern Africa, Madagascar, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Japan, New Guinea and Australia.^[1]

Uses

The leaves of C. woodii have been found in prehistoric settlements in Africa and are believed to have been used for insect control.^[8]

Essential oil is commercially harvested from Cryptocarya agathophylla (formerly Ravensara aromatica), a tree native to the lowland rainforests of eastern Madagascar. Known as ravensara oil, it is used for aromatherapy in Europe and America.^[9]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Cryptocarya R.Br". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
^ Le Cussan, J.; Hyland, Bernard P.M. "Cryptocarya". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
^ Harden, Gwen J. "Cryptocarya". Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
^ "Cryptocarya". Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
^ Brown, Robert (1810). Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen. London. p. 402. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
^ George, Alex; Sharr, Francis (2021). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (4th ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 72. ISBN 9780958034180.
^ Van Der Werff, Henk (2006). "A Revision of the Malagasy endemic genus Aspidostemon Rohwer & Richter (Lauraceae" (PDF). Adansonia. 28 (1): 7–38. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-08-08. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
^ Wadley L, Sievers C, Bamford M, Goldberg P, Berna F, Miller C (2011). "Middle Stone Age bedding construction and settlement patterns at Sibudu, South Africa". Science. 334 (6061): 1388–91. Bibcode:2011Sci...334.1388W. doi:10.1126/science.1213317. PMID 22158814. S2CID 11063722.
^ Hanitriniaina Sahondra Andrianoelisoa, Chantal Menut, Panja Ramanoelina, Falihery Raobelison, Philippe Collas de Chatelperron, & Pascal Danthu (2010). "Chemical Composition of Essential Oils From Bark and Leaves of Individual Trees of Ravensara aromatica Sonnerat", Journal of Essential Oil Research, 22:1, 66-70, DOI: 10.1080/10412905.2010.9700267