Kirkiaceae

Disclaimer

Content is from Kirkbride et al. 2006, without modification. 
Updates are forthcoming.

Taxonomy

Kirkiaceae (Engler) Takhtajan

Common name: Kirkia Family.

Number of genera: 2 genera.

Number of species (Mabberley 1997): 3 species (Kirkia acuminata Oliv., K. wilmsii Engl., Pleiokirkia of Madagascar).

Disseminule

Fruit (intact or entire).

Description

Fruits: Pistil(s) compound; 1; 1-pistillate; with carpels united. Fruit pericarpium; schizocarp; microbasarium; with persistent central column; solid central column shaft; valves diverging from top of central column (resembling umbrella ribs); with stylar remenant(s); at apex; not within accessory organ(s); more than 1 but less than 10-seeded; 4–6-seeded; less than 1 cm long, or from 1–5 cm long; 0.6–2.5 cm long; with 8–12-carpellate; with carpels united; with carpels separating at maturity; with carpels not radiating at maturity; with carpels remaining connected at style; with sterile carpels; without fleshy lateral appendage; not sulcate; in transection triangular; 3-angled; apex not beaked; wall crustaceous to firm to woody; indehiscent. Epicarp brown (all shades); dull; durable; crustaceous; glabrous, or not glabrous (with hairs); hairs short; hairs not glandular; without armature; smooth; with wing(s); 2-winged (permericarp, 8 per fruit); with wing(s) lateral; without apical respiratory hole. Mesocarp present; dry and hard; composed of 1 unified layer; without lactiform cavity system; & endocarp sharply differentiated. Endocarp present; not separating from exocarp; thin; not splitting into 1-seeded pyrenes; stone plurilocular; stone 8–12-loculate (in 4–6 mericarps); smooth; without wing; without operculum; without secretory cavities; without mechanism for seedling escape; with grooves; 3-grooved; without longitudinal ridges. Funiculus short; short without seed bearing hooks (retinacula); not persisting in fruit after seed shed.

Seeds: Aril absent. Seed larger than minute; slightly curved; in transection triangular; not bowl shaped; not nutlike; without winglike beak; without caudate appendage(s); without canavanine. Sarcotesta absent. Testa present; without fleshy or leathery layer over hard layer; without glands; without bristles; without wings; without collar; without operculum; colored; monochrome; not becoming mucilaginous when wetted. Embryo differentiated from food reserve; well developed; partially filling testa (with food reserve); at one end of seed not extending into a depression or cup; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; without stomata; not green.

Distribution

General distribution: Old World.

Detailed distribution: Tropical Africa (& Madagascar).

Notes

Stannerd (1981): "Fruit woody, composed of triquetrous mericarps suspended from the top of a central carpophore, each mericarp with the remaining base of one of the previously coherent styles relaxed back over its apex".

References

Literature specific to this family: Stannard, B. 1981. A revision of Kirkia (Simaroubaceae). Kew Bull 35:829–839; Wyk, B. van & P. van Wyk. 1997. Field guide to trees of southern Africa. Struik, Cape Town.

General references: Mabberley, D.J. 1987. The plant-book, 706 p. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.