Within the Solanaceae, Cyphomandra belongs to the subfamily Solanoideae and tribe Solaneae, characterized by flattened seeds with curved embryos and abundant endosperm,
valvate, induplicate, or plicate corolla a estivation, and filaments inserted near the base of the anthers (Bohs 1995).
Flowers sessile, bisexual, buds cylindrical; epicalyx green; corolla 6-merous, 0.2-0.3cm long, dark red,
valvate; stamens-6, dimorphic, 3 major and 3 minor alternating with each other, majors 0.8-1 X 0.1 cm, minors 0.5-0.6 X 0.1 cm, included.
Corolla pentamerous, gamopetalous and caducous, with
valvate aestivation, presumably rotate and reflexed.
exhibits stellate hairs and palmately veined leaves with inflorescence structures consisting of bicolor units,
valvate sepals, mucilage cavities within cortex & pith and cyclopropanoid oil seed [10,11,35].
Staminate flower symmetrical, trimerous, from barely to widely open at anthesis; sepals 3 short, [+ or -]triangular, sometimes basally connate; petals 3, much exceeding the sepals,
valvate, boat-shaped, straight or reflexed, basally connate; stamens 3-12, anthers small, [+ or -]oval-linear, versatile, latrorse; pistillode present, minute, trifid, or absent.
Leaves <2.5 cm long; ovulate cones fleshy or with 2 woody,
valvate scales 2.
Despite their prior placement in Apiaceae subfamily Hydrocotyloideae, the affinity of these genera to Araliaceae has been noted as far back as Seemann (1863), who concluded that the
valvate petal aestivation of Hydrocotyle warranted its transfer to Araliaceae.
Staminate flowers symmetrical, trimerous, not widely open at anthesis, sepals 3 short, imbricate, free, petals 3,
valvate, stamens 6, slightly exceeding petals at anthesis, anthers small, dorsifixed, oval-linear with sagittate base, pistillode reduced.
Deciduous trees; bark fibrous; seed cones round and woody with scales that do not overlap (
valvate); leaves alternate Cupressaceae (Taxodium)