About 85 species of evergreen trees and shrubs, but few apparently widely used in landscaping. Leaves alternate, leathery, entire or crenate-serrate. Flowers usually bisexual, 5 sepals, 5 petals, numerous stamens. Fruit dehiscent, large seeds. Native to Africa, Asia, and North, Central and South America.
Ternstroemia: after Christoper Ternstroem, a Swedish naturalist and traveler in China.
Pronunciation:
tern-STRO-mi-a
Family:
Theaceae