Hypodaphnis and the Cryptocarya group
The monotypic (i.e., including a single species) genus Hypodaphnis is the sister taxon to all other Lauraceae in most analyses – and only this position reaches significant statistical support. Hypodaphnis is the only genus in Lauraceae with a clearly inferior ovary, and it is from Centra Africa, a region in which the contemporary diversity of Lauraceae is much smaller than in Southeast Asia or South America.
The most comprehensive study of the Cryptocarya-Gruppe is from our working group (Rohwer et al., 2014). It indicated that the relationships among the main evolutionary lineages in this group are these:
The genera Eusideroxylon, Potoxylon and Dahlgrenodendron are monotypic. Eusideroxylon and Potoxylon are from Southeast Asia (Sumatra, Borneo). They have a semi-inferior ovary and four collateral pollen sacs per anther. Some authors prefer to treat them as a single genus, despite a difference in the number of fertile stamens (3 vs. 9).
All other genera have two valves per anther, although in some species there are four pollen sacs behind them. Dahlgrenodendron is from South Africa. Aspidostemon includes about 30 species from Madagascar (van der Werff, 2006). Cryptocarya is found in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. The number of species in this genus is uncertain; there are more than 500 published names, but several species have been described more than once. Rohwer (1993) estimated the number of species at about 350, but perhaps they are even fewer. In Aspidostemon, Dahlgrenodendron and Cryptocarya, the ovary is immersed in a deeply tubular hypanthium, which is accrescent after flowering and forms the outer fruit wall.
In the Beilschmiedia complex (ca. 250–350 species), the ovary is superior or inserted in a shallow to moderately deep hypanthium, which apparently drops off after flowering. At least at fruiting time the berry is sitting free on its pedicel. Fruit development, however, has not been studied in detail yet. The Beilschmiedia complex consists of the genera Beilschmiedia, Endiandra (incl. Brassiodendron and Triadodaphne), Hexapora, Potameia, Sinopora (probably a synonym of Hexapora), Syndiclis and Yasunia. The relationships among these genera are still not fully understood.