Subfamily: Mimosoideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 2.5.06.
Tribe: Ingeae.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 14 studied; 8 in genus.
Fruit: A legume; unilocular; 10–25 cm long; 1–5.5 cm wide; 0.02–0.5 cm thick; 2–9 times longer than wide, or more than 9 times longer than wide; with deciduous androecial sheath; with deciduous corolla; with deciduous calyx; without orifice formed by curving of fruit or fruit segments; straight (or nearly so); not plicate; twisted (basally), or not twisted; symmetrical; linear to oblong; not inflated; flattened; without beak; rounded at apex to tapered at apex; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; short tapered at base to tapered at base, or rounded at base; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; with the apex and base uniform in texture; coriaceous to membranous; seed chambers externally visible; margin not constricted; margin without sulcus; margin plain; wing(s) absent; stipitate, or substipitate; with the stipe up to 40 mm long; tardily with all layers dehiscing, or indehiscent; splitting along suture(s). Dehiscence of valves active; with valves breaking (from replum thus opening though not falling away). Replum visible, or invisible. Epicarp glossy to dull; monochrome; brown (to blackish brown), or black; with surface texture uniform; glabrous to pubescent and indurate; with hairs erect; with simple hairs; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; with elevated features; not veined, or veined (parallel, extending across valve or to center of valve); transversely veined relative to fruit length; not tuberculate; checking and exfoliating; without cracks; without embedded tissue, much thicker than epicarp, running from base to apex. Mesocarp present; surface not veined; 1-layered; without balsamic vesicles; without reniform canals; solid; coriaceous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome, or mottled; tan; with mottling more or less uniform and over seed chambers; with purple overlay and tan overlay (darker, over seed chambers); smooth; without adhering pieces of testa; septate; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp, or separating from mesocarp; entire, or separating into 1-seeded winged segments. Seed(s) 2–16; length transverse to fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus 2.5–20.5 mm long; of 1 length only; filiform; hooked. Aril absent.
Seed: 5.3–10 mm long; 3.8–6.5 mm wide; 1–2 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular; symmetrical; oblong to ovate; compressed to flattened; with surface smooth; without visible radicle and cotyledon lobes; without hilar sinus; without umbo on seed faces; without medial ridge on each face. Cuticle not exfoliating; not inflated; not wrinkled. Testa present; without pieces of adhering epicarp; not adhering to endocarp; free from endocarp; glossy; not modified by a bloom; colored; monochrome; brown; glabrous; not smooth; with recessed features; concaved; osseous to coriaceous. Pleurogram present; 75 %. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines absent. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe not visible. Hilum present; visible, or fully concealed; concealed by funicular remnant; without faboid split; punctiform; subapical to radicle tip to apical at apex of radicle tip; flush; not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens discernible; 0.1 mm long; with margins straight; linear; not in groove of raphe; mounded (within hilar depression); dissimilar color from testa; white; not within corona, halo, or rim. Endosperm present, or absent; thin; not pluglike and not resembling tip of radicle; adnate to testa. Cotyledons smooth; both outer faces flat; both the same thickness; both more or less of equal length; not folded; margin entire 180 degrees from base of radicle; similar at apex; partially concealing radicle; with lobes; with lobes overlapping; with basal groin formed by lobes; with the interface division terminating at base of radicle; without margins recessed; inner face flat; glabrous on inner face. Embryonic axis straight; parallel to length of seed; without a joint evident between the radicle and the cotyledons. Radicle differentiated from cotyledon; straight with embryonic axis; centered between cotyledons. Plumule well developed; glabrous.
Seed, cotyledon, embryo, and testa: L. affinis Britton & J.N. Rose - bottom left and bottom left center seed topographies, top left cotyledon concealing all but radicle tip (L) and embryonic axis (R); L. desmostachya G. Bentham - testa SEMs; L. watsonii J.N. Rose - top left center seed topography; L. spp. - bottom left center seeds.
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