Cunonia is a genus of shrubs and trees in the family Cunoniaceae. The genus has a disjunct distribution, with 24 species endemic to New Caledonia in the Pacific, and one species (Cunonia capensis) in Southern Africa. Leaves are opposite, simple or pinnate with a margin entire to serrate. Interpetiolar stipules are often conspicuous and generally enclose buds to form a spoon-like shape (hence the common name "butterspoon tree" for Cunonia capensis). Flowers are bisexual, white, red (pink to purple), or green, arranged in racemes. The fruit is a capsule opening first around the base then vertically, seeds are winged.[1][2]
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Bradford, J.C., Hopkins, H.CF., Barnes, R.W . (2004). Cunoniaceae. in Kubitzki, K. (ed.) The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants: Volume VI, Flowering plants, Dicotyledons: Celastrales, Oxalidales, Rosales, Cornales. Springer, Heidelberg. p 91-111.
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Hopkins, H.C., Pillon, Y., Hoogland, R.D. (2014). Cunoniaceae : Flore de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, volume 26. Publications scientifiques du Muséum, Paris ; IRD, Marseille, 455 p. (collection Faune et Flore tropicales ; 45) ISBN978-2-85653-764-0.
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Goldblatt, P., & Manning, J. (2000). Cape plants: a conspectus of the Cape flora of South Africa. National Botanical Institute. p. 420
