See text

Haemodoraceae, or the Bloodwort family, is a family of 75 herbs in 14 genera, belonging to the commelinids (order Commelinales).

These perennial species occur in temperate to tropical climates of South Africa, Australia, New Guinea, SE U.S.A., Central America and tropical South America.

The plants are adapted to grow in moderately moist environment ( = mesophytic) or in very dry environment (= xerophytic). They are autotrophic, i.e. capable of converting inorganic molecules into organic ones, using chlorophyll.

The roots are rhizomatous, tuberous, or bulbaceous.

The leathery leaves are rather large, alternate, distichous ( = in two vertical ranks), and enclosed by a sheath with free margins. The leaves are entire or ensiform, with entire margins.

The plants are hermaphroditic. The pollens are spread by insects, birds or sometimes a small animal. The wooly-haired flowers grow at the end of a leafles stalk into cymes (with lateral branches), panicles or racemes. The androecium contains 3 or 6 stamens. The gynoecium has 3 carpels and 3 locules in the ovary, with 1 to 50 ovules per locule.

The fruit is non-fleshy capsule or nut. It may be dehiscent, or indehiscent.

Genera

• Anigozanthos : Kangaroo Paw
• Barberetta
• Blancoa
• Conostylis
• Dilatris
• Haemodorum
• Lachnanthes
• Macropidia
• Phlebocarya
• Pyrrhorhiza
• Schiekia
• Tribonanthes
• Xiphidium
• Wachendorfia