Lepidobotryaceae

Disclaimer

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

Taxonomy

Lepidobotryaceae J. Leonard

Common name: Lepidobotrys Family.

Number of genera: 2 genera.

Number of species (Mabberley 1997): 2 species (Lepidobotrys staudii Engler & Ruptiliocarpon caracolito Hammel & N. Zamora).

Disseminule

Fruit (dehisced), or seed.

Description

Fruits: Pistil(s) 1; 1-pistillate. Fruit pericarpium; simple; capsule; septicidal capsule; capsule not inflated; capsule without operculum; without persistent central column; not within accessory organ(s); 1-seeded to more than 1 but less than 10-seeded; 1(–2)-seeded; from 1–5 cm long; 2.5–3.5 cm long; with 2–3-carpellate; with carpels united; with carpels remaining united at maturity; without sterile carpels; not sulcate; apex not beaked; wall leathery, or woody; dehiscent. Dehiscent unit eventually seed(s), or endocarp(s) (at first). Dehiscent passively; at apex; and shedding seeds; without replum. Epicarp gray to purple; durable; glabrous; without armature; smooth; without wing(s); without apical respiratory hole. Mesocarp present; Lepidobotrys leathery, or hard (& woody Ruptiliocarpon); composed of 1 unified layer; without lactiform cavity system. Endocarp present; not separating from exocarp; bony (Ruptiloiocarpon), or thin (Lepidobotrys); not splitting into 1-seeded pyrenes; without wing; without operculum; without secretory cavities; without mechanism for seedling escape; without grooves; without longitudinal ridges. Funiculus short; short without seed bearing hooks (retinacula); not persisting in fruit after seed shed.

Seeds: Aril present; a true aril, or an arillike structure; red to orange, or red; well developed; adnate to hilum; fleshy; of funicular origin; covering up to 1/3 of seed basal, or encompassing (nearly); does not aid in seed explusion from fruit; fleshy. Arillike structure falling with seed an elaisome. Seed larger than minute; 10 to less than 25 mm long; 10–15 mm long; circular, or ellipsoid; in transection terete; not bowl shaped; not nutlike; without winglike beak; without caudate appendage(s); without canavanine. Sarcotesta absent. Testa present; without markedly different marginal tissue; without fleshy or leathery layer over hard layer; tight; shiny; without crease or line separating cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle; without notch along margin where cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle tip approach each other; without glands; without bristles; glabrous; without wings; without collar; without operculum; colored; monochrome; black; not becoming mucilaginous when wetted. Embryo differentiated from food reserve; well developed; 1 per seed; at one end of seed not extending into a depression or cup; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; without stomata; not green; with 2 or more cotyledons (assumed). Cotyledons 2 (assumed); equal in size; not punctate dotted.

Distribution

General distribution: New World and Old World.

Detailed distribution: Ruptiliocarpon of Costa Rica Middle America and Africa (Lepidobotrys staudtii of Nigeria & Zaire).

Notes

Hammel & Zamora (1993): "Fruit ovoid, exocarp coriaceous to woody, irregularly rupturing and falling away to expose 2 horny endocarps, 1 nearly completely surrounding the seed, the other usually empty and smaller, these also falling away, the larger taking on the shape of a snail shell".

References

Literature specific to this family: Hammel, B.E. & N.A. Zamora. 1993. Ruptiliocarpon (Lepidobotryaceae): A new arborescent genus and tropical American link to Africa, with a reconsideration of the family. Novon 3:408–417; Badré, F. 1972a. Lepidobotryaceae. In: A. Aubréville & J.-F. Leroy, eds., Flora du Cameroun, vol 14, pp. 43–46. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris.

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