Subfamily: Faboideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 3.3.02.
Tribe: Dipteryxeae.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 3 studied; ca. 5 in genus.
Fruit: A legumelegume:
usually dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a single carpel that opens along two longitudinal sutures
; unilocular; 3–7.5 cm long; 1.5–4 cm wide; 0.8–1.2 cm thick; length less than twice as long as width; with deciduous androecial sheath; with deciduous corolla; with deciduous calyx; without orifice formed by curving of fruit or fruit segments; straight; not plicate; not twisted; asymmetrical; with 1 straight and 1 curved suture; widest near middle or D-shaped; not inflated; flattened; without beak; short tapered at apex; oblique with longitudinal axis of fruit (or nearly so); rounded at base; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; with the apex and base uniform in texture; ligneous; seed chambers externally visible, or invisible; seed chambers with the raised seed chambers not torulose; margin not constricted; margin without sulcus; margin plain; wing(s) absent; nonstipitate (based on loose fruits); with all layers dehiscing; splitting along suture(s). Dehiscence of valves along both sutures; probably apical and down; active, or passive; with valves enrolling. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull; monochrome; black, or brown; with surface texture uniform; glabrous; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; with elevated features; veined; longitudinally veined relative to fruit length; not tuberculate; not exfoliating; without cracks; without embedded tissue, much thicker than epicarp, running from base to apex. Mesocarp present; thick; 1-layered; without balsamic vesicles; without fibers; without reniform canals; solid; ligneous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; tan; smooth; without adhering pieces of testa; nonseptate; coriaceous; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; without wings; entire. Seed(s) 1, or 2; length parallel with fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus 1 mm long; of 1 length only; thick; straight. Aril absent.
Seed: 22–32 mm long; 18–27 mm wide; 5 mm thick; not overgrown; angular, or not angular; asymmetrical; circular to ovate to rhombic; compressed to flattened; 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; dull; not modified by a bloom; colored; monochrome; dark brown; glabrous; not smooth; with elevated features, or recessed features; somewhat wrinkled; faintly, longitudinally striate; coriaceous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines absent. Rim absent. Raphe not visible. Hilum present; visible; without faboid split; punctiform; subapical to radicle tip, or marginal according to radicle tip (depending on shape of seed); recessed; not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens not discernible. Endosperm absent. Cotyledons smooth, or not smooth; wrinkled (T. oppositifolia J.C.B.F. Aublet); both outer faces convex; both the same thickness; both more or less of equal length; not folded; margin entire 180 degrees from base of radicle; similar at apex; completely concealing radicle; split over radicle; with lobes; with the interface division terminating at base of radicle; without margins recessed; brown; inner face flat; glabrous on inner face. Embryonic axis straight; oblique to length of seed; without a joint evident between the radicle and the cotyledons. Radicle differentiated from cotyledon; linear; oblique to cotyledons; centered between cotyledons; less than 1/2 length of cotyledons. Plumule moderately developed; glabrous.
Tropical South America.
New World; South America (tropical); Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, and the Guianas.
Tribe Dipteryxeae
Polhill (1981c) noted that the tribe has "woody dehiscent valves, or with stony endocarp tardily opening on ground, or winged around the hard central seed-chamber with epicarp flaking.