Ascarina

Ascarina is an ancient, woody, angiosperm genus. It is a distinct genus of the family Chloranthaceae, consisting of less than twenty species, found in the Australian region, the Pacific Islands and Madagascar. They can grow up to six metres tall and have a spread of approximately three metres. Ascarina are usually tropical cloud forest species which need high humidity to thrive, and are vulnerable to both frost and drought. There has been discussion and research on whether or not this genus and its family are primitive, or have become reduced over time. Another controversial topic for the genus is its relation to the Clavatipollenites, a fossilized pollen.

== Morphology == Ascarina plants are divided into three major species groups, based on the number of stamens per male flower, number of supporting flower bracts and geographic location. The flowers of the Ascarina species are unisexual, containing one to five stamens in male flowers, and a single carpel in females. The exception to this is A. lucida, which can have monoecious flowers. Ascarina plants differ from the other members of the Chloranthaceae family in that male flowers can have more than one stamen, indicative of a reduction from a more advanced form. Ascarina flowers are anemophilous, meaning they pollinate by wind rather than by symbiosis with insects. That trait is an indication of the primitive nature of the plant.