Apodytes This genus consists of 3 species of evergreen trees, from tropical northeastern Australia, New Caledonia, Africa and Asia.

Description

All of the species have simple, smooth-edged, leathery leaves and much-branched panicles of small white flowers with recurving petals and conspicuous stamens. The fruits are small drupes with a fleshly appendage on one side attached to the fruit, termed a pseudoaril.

The African species (Apodytes dimidiata

Apodytes dimidiata

Apodytes dimidiata is a bushy tree, with white fragrant flowers and small, dark red berries. It is usually about 5 m tall , and it is indigenous to Southern Africa.The taxonomical family placement for this and other Apodytes is currently under debate...

) is grown for its attractive display of white blossom and red and black fruit, as well as for shade, screening and hedges. It is also grown in southern Africa for ornament and timber, and a bark preparation is used to drive out intestinal parasites.

Taxonomy

It was previously placed in a broadly circumscribed Icacinaceae

Icacinaceae

Icacinaceae is a family of flowering plants.It consists of trees, shrubs, and lianas, primarily of the tropics.The family was traditionally circumscribed quite broadly, with around 55 genera totalling over 400 species...

, but since that family was split it is unplaced as both family and order rank. Recent research suggest that it is associated with Garryales

Garryales

The Garryales are a small order of dicotyledons, including only two families and three genera:* Family Garryaceae**Garrya**Aucuba* Family Eucommiaceae**Eucommia...

, though possibly not closely enough to warrant broadening that order to include it.

Cultivation

It adapts readily to gardens in warm-temperate to tropical climates, though growth is not particularly fast and it can be kept to large shrub size. A deep fertile soil suits it best but it will grow in poorer soils. Propagate from fresh seed.