Lecythidaceae

Disclaimer

Content is from Kirkbride et al. 2006Kirkbride et al. 2006:
Kirkbride JH, Jr, Gunn CR, and Dallwitz MJ. 2006. Family guide for fruits and seeds, vers. 1.0. Accessed September 2020-January 2022. URL:  https://nt.ars-grin.gov/seedsfruits/keys/frsdfam/index.cfm ., without modification. 
Updates are forthcoming.

Taxonomy

Lecythidaceae A. Richard

Common name: Brazil-nut Family.

Number of genera: 20 genera.

Number of species (Mabberley 1997): 280 species.

Disseminule

Fruit (dehisced), or fruit (intact or entire), or incomplete fruit with epicarpepicarp:
outer layer of fruit wall or pericarp, if divided into layers; note here used synonymously with exocarp
and mesocarpmesocarp:
the middle layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers
absent and endocarpendocarp:
the inner layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers
exposed, or seed.

Description

Fruits: Pistil(s) compound; 1; 1-pistillate; with carpels united. Fruit pericarpium, or anthocarpanthocarp:
simple or compound and including some tissue of non-ovarian origin (accessory tissue)
; simple; berryberry:
an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa.
, or capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
, or amphisarcum (Asteranthos); pyxidium capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
(Lecythis Spjut Fig. 46B), or loculicidalloculicidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal)
capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
(Asteranthos but not Spjut & see amphisarcum); capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
not inflated; capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
without operculumoperculum:
a dehiscent cap (or lid) of a seed or fruit that opens during germination or dehiscence
; simple; diclesium; without persistent central column; within accessory organ(s), or not within accessory organ(s); few to ?; with 2–6-carpellate (Goldberg noted "(-7)"); with carpels united; with carpels remaining united at maturity; with carpels not radiating at maturity; without sterilesterile:
lacking male and/or female reproductive parts; also, not producing fruit or seed
carpels; not sulcatesulcate:
surface relief—having one or more elongate, relatively narrow and shallow depressions or grooves
; apexapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ
not beaked; indehiscentindehiscent:
not opening on its own, as in a fruit
, or dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
. Dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
unit seed(s). Dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
passively; at apexapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ
; and shedding seeds; without replumreplum:
the rim, formed by the persistent placentas, and connected by a false septum in Brassicaceae fruits. The fruit valves are attached to this rim and separate from it in dehiscent fruits.
. Epicarpepicarp:
outer layer of fruit wall or pericarp, if divided into layers; note here used synonymously with exocarp
durable; glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
; without armature; smooth; without wing(s), or with wing(s); 4-winged; with wing(s) laterallateral:
(of embryo) embryo lies along the side of the seed, generally towards one end; of, at, or from the side; in grasses, can refer to the sides adjacent to the dorsal and ventral sides
; without apicalapical:
at or pertaining to the end of the seed or fruit distal from its point of attachment (i.e., base)
respiratory hole. Mesocarpmesocarp:
the middle layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers
absent, or present; fibrousfibrous:
texture—long, flexible threads, thicker than hairs, that densely cover and obscure the surface
(at least); composed of 1 unified layer; without lactiform cavity system; & endocarpendocarp:
the inner layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers
not sharply differentiated. Endocarpendocarp:
the inner layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers
present, or absent; not separating from exocarpexocarp:
outer layer of fruit wall or pericarp, if divided into layers; note here used synonymously with epicarp
; thin, or thick, or bonybony:
very hard and rather brittle, like bone
; not splitting into 1-seeded pyrenes; without operculumoperculum:
a dehiscent cap (or lid) of a seed or fruit that opens during germination or dehiscence
; without secretory cavities; without longitudinallongitudinal:
of or relating to length or the lengthwise dimension
ridges; with apicalapical:
at or pertaining to the end of the seed or fruit distal from its point of attachment (i.e., base)
pore(s); 1-porate. Funiculusfuniculus:
(alt. funicle) stalk connecting the ovule (later seed) to the ovary (later fruit) placenta
short; short without seed bearing hookswith hooks:
bristles or spines with curved or backwards pointing tips, or with secondary bristles along their length
(retinacula); not persisting in fruit after seed shed.

Seeds: Arilaril:
(broad sense) appendicular structure that wholly or partly envelops a seed and is produced from or a modification of the funicle, raphe, or outer integument; usually fleshy or pulpy, sometimes spongy or tufted-capillate, often brightly colored
winged seeds absent, or present (Gustavia could be considered a funiculusfuniculus:
(alt. funicle) stalk connecting the ovule (later seed) to the ovary (later fruit) placenta
or a funiculusfuniculus:
(alt. funicle) stalk connecting the ovule (later seed) to the ovary (later fruit) placenta
with slightly dialated funicularfuniculus:
(alt. funicle) stalk connecting the ovule (later seed) to the ovary (later fruit) placenta
head); a true arilaril:
(broad sense) appendicular structure that wholly or partly envelops a seed and is produced from or a modification of the funicle, raphe, or outer integument; usually fleshy or pulpy, sometimes spongy or tufted-capillate, often brightly colored
; orange, or yellow; well developed; adnate to hilumhilum:
on seeds, the scar indicating where the funiculus was attached; on grass caryopses, the scar visible on the outer fruit surface revealing where the seed is attached on the inner fruit wall surface; or in Asteraceae cypselae, the scar visible on the outer fruit wall revealing where the fruit was attached to the receptacle
; fleshy; of funicularfuniculus:
(alt. funicle) stalk connecting the ovule (later seed) to the ovary (later fruit) placenta
origin; basalbasal:
at or pertaining to the point of attachment; (of embryo) embryo occupies one end of the seed
; does not aid in seed explusion from fruit; fleshy; fimbriate-laciniate. Seed larger than minute; 10 to less than 25 mm long to 50+ mm long; 15–50 mm long (at least); ellipsoidellipsoid:
3D shape—elliptic
, or triangulartriangular:
2D shape—three relatively straight sides with distinct corners; more angular than teardrop-shaped
; in transection triangulartriangular:
2D shape—three relatively straight sides with distinct corners; more angular than teardrop-shaped
, or tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
, or flattened; not bowl shaped; not nutlike, or nutlike; without winglike beakbeak:
a usually firm, terminal appendage, sometimes tapered
; without caudatecaudate:
tapering to a long, tail-like appendage
appendage(s); at maturity with food reserves, or without apparent food reserves; with endosperm, or perispermperisperm:
seed nutritive tissue comparable to the endosperm, but derived from the nucellus (maternal tissue)
; without canavanine. Sarcotestasarcotesta:
pulpy or fleshy outer layer of the seed coat, simulates aril
absent. Testatesta:
seed coat
present, or absent; without embryo surrounded and capped by viscid tissue; without markedly different marginalmarginal:
at, on, or close to the margin or border
tissue; without fleshy or leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
layer over hard layer; tight; shinyshiny:
uniformly reflecting a high proportion of incident light at all angles
(at least); surface smooth, or unsmooth; surface with merged raised features; surface transversely rugoserugose:
wrinkled
, or wrinkledwrinkled:
surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out
(faintly); with crease or line separating cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle, or without crease or line separating cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle; with notch along margin where cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle tip approaching each other, or without notch along margin where cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle tip approach each other; without glands; without bristles; glabrousglabrous:
without hairs
, or pubescentpubescent:
surface relief—bearing hairs
; with hairs over surface; densely hairy; with straight hairs; without glandularglandular:
surface relief—covered with small, raised secretory glands, regular or irregularly shaped, translucent or opaque, and maybe distinctly colored
pubescence; without wings, or with wing(s) (Casiniana); 1-winged; with wing at one end; with wing(s) solid; with solid wing(s) similar to testatesta:
seed coat
(assumed); without collar; without operculumoperculum:
a dehiscent cap (or lid) of a seed or fruit that opens during germination or dehiscence
; colored; monochrome; brown (all shades), or black; nutlike woodywoody:
texture—consisting mainly of indurate lignified tissues, characteristic of or resembling wood
, or thin; not becoming mucilaginousmucilaginous:
resembling mucilage; moist and sticky
when wetted; surrounding embryo, or surrounding food reserve. Hilumhilum:
on seeds, the scar indicating where the funiculus was attached; on grass caryopses, the scar visible on the outer fruit surface revealing where the seed is attached on the inner fruit wall surface; or in Asteraceae cypselae, the scar visible on the outer fruit wall revealing where the fruit was attached to the receptacle
larger than punctatepunctate:
surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted
. Endosperm copious (Asteranthos); smooth; with oils and proteins; without fatty acid containing cyclopropene; without apicalapical:
at or pertaining to the end of the seed or fruit distal from its point of attachment (i.e., base)
lobes; without chlorophyll; without isodiametric faceted surface; without odor. Perispermperisperm:
seed nutritive tissue comparable to the endosperm, but derived from the nucellus (maternal tissue)
opaqueopaque:
not transmitting light
. Embryo differentiated from food reserve; well developed; 1 per seed; completely filling testatesta:
seed coat
(no food reserve), or partially filling testatesta:
seed coat
(with food reserve), or nearly filling testatesta:
seed coat
(trace or scanty food reserve); chamber apicalapical:
at or pertaining to the end of the seed or fruit distal from its point of attachment (i.e., base)
to wing (assumed - or basally?); 0.9–1 times the length of food reserve; at one end of seed not extending into a depression or cup; axileaxile:
on or of the axis
and centric, or peripheralperipheral:
(of embryo) embryo is curved around the outer edge of the seed, near the seed coat
; linearlinear:
(shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide
, or foliatefoliate:
appearing leaf-like
; with investinginvesting:
(of embryo) embryo is nearly or completely filling seed coat, straight, and axile and centric with spatulate cotyledons and covering the stalk for at least half its length; (of cotyledons) cotyledons spatulate and covering the stalk for at least half its length
cotyledons, or spatulatespatulate:
2D shape—like a spatula; rounded at the apex, with base long and tapered; (of embryo) embryo is straight and axile and centric with the cotyledons expanded to form the shape of a spatula or spoon; (of cotyledons) cotyledons expanded and wider than the stalk but not invested into the stalk
cotyledons; straight, or annularannular:
3D shape—forming a ring
, or flatly coiledcoiled:
(of embryo) linear embryo is very long and bent to form a coil whereby one end of the embryo is on the outside and the other end near the middle of the seed
(circinatecircinate:
3D shape—terete and rolled downward from the apex in a tight coil
); parallel to seed length; surrounding endosperm, or embedded in endosperm; with cotyledons abruptly connected to hypocotyl-radicle, or gradually connected to hypocotyl-radicle; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; with cotyledons containing oils, or protein; without stomata; not green; with 2 or more cotyledons, or acotyledonous (virtually surpressed). Cotyledons 2; well developed, or scarcely differentiated; 0.5–0.9 times length of embryo; somewhat to significantly wider than hypocotyl-radicle; 1.5–5.5 times wider than hypocotyl-radicle; foliaceous, or not foliaceous; massive, or thick, or thin; flat, or once-folded; smooth, or ruminateruminate:
testa or seed coat folded into the endosperm
, or 2-lobed (or 3-lobed); with apicesapex:
the point farthest from the point of attachment, or the "tip" of an organ
entire; with margins separate, or adhering; equal in size; not punctatepunctate:
surface relief—dotted with pits or with translucent, sunken glands or with colored dots, similar to pitted
dotted. Hypocotyl-radicle well developed, or vestigial (occasionally); straight, or folded; much thickened, or not thickened. Plumule often well developed.

Distribution

General distribution: Pansubtropical. New World and Old World.

Detailed distribution: Middle America, South America, Africa, Asia Southeastern, Australia, and Oceania.

Notes

Endocarpendocarp:
the inner layer of the pericarp, if divided into layers
with distal operculumoperculum:
a dehiscent cap (or lid) of a seed or fruit that opens during germination or dehiscence
, often large (monkey-pots) or drupedrupe:
(indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds, derived from single, superior, simple or compound ovary; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds
or berryberry:
an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa.
. Goldberg: recognized Lecythidaceae (fruit woodywoody:
texture—consisting mainly of indurate lignified tissues, characteristic of or resembling wood
capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
, apically dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
, or berryberry:
an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa.
); Barringtoniaceae (fruit fibrousfibrous:
texture—long, flexible threads, thicker than hairs, that densely cover and obscure the surface
berryberry:
an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa.
, drupedrupe:
(indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds, derived from single, superior, simple or compound ovary; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds
, or dry 4-winged and indehiscentindehiscent:
not opening on its own, as in a fruit
); and Asteranthaceae (fruit large berryberry:
an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa.
or loculicidalloculicidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal)
capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
with persistent calyxcalyx:
the outer whorl of the perianth; all the sepals of a flower
(Asteranthos). Mabberley: Subfamilies: 1. Lecythidoideae (fruit berryberry:
an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa.
or capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
of tropical America); 2. Napoleonaeoideae (Asteranthaceae and capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
with large calyxcalyx:
the outer whorl of the perianth; all the sepals of a flower
, or large berryberry:
an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa.
of New World); 3. Foetidioideae (fruit drupedrupe:
(indehiscent drupe) a fleshy, indehiscent fruit with one more hard pits enclosing seeds, derived from single, superior, simple or compound ovary; (dehiscent drupe) a fruit with a dry or fibrous to fleshy or leathery outer husk that early to tardily breaks apart (or opens), exposing one or more nutlike pits enclosing the seeds
of Old World); 4. Planchonioideae (fruit usually 1-seeded berryberry:
an indehiscent, fleshy fruit with one or a few to many seeds. The flesh may be homogenous throughout. Or, if the outer part is hard, firm, or leathery, referred to as an hesperidium. Septa are present in some, and the seeds may be arillate or with a fleshy testa.
or dry 4-winged dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit derived from a compound ovary
of Old World).

References

General references: Corner, E.J.H. 1976. The seeds of Dicots, esp. vol. 2. Cambridge University Press, New York, Cronquist, A. 1981. An integrated system of classification of flowering plants, 1,262 p. Columbia University Press, New York, Engler, A. & K. Prantl. 1924 and onward. Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilimien. W. Engelman, Leipzig, Gaertner, J. 1788–1805. De fructibus et seminibus plantarum. The Author, Stuttgart, Goldberg, A. 1986 (dicots) & 1989 (monocots). Classification, evolution, and phylogeny of the familes of Dicotyledons. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 58 for dicots (314 pp.) & 71 for monocots (74 pp.). [Goldberg's illustrations are reproduced from older publications and these should be consulted], Gunn, C.R. & J.V. Dennis. 1976. World guide to tropical drift seeds and fruits, 240 pp. The New York Times Book Co., New York, Gunn, C.R., J.H. Wiersema, C.A. Ritchie, & J.H. Kirkbride, Jr. 1992 & amendments. Families and genera of Spermatophytes recognized by the Agricultural Research Service. Techn. Bull. U.S.D.A. 1796:1–500, LeMaout, E. & J. Decaisne. 1876. A general system of botany, 1,065 p. Longmans, Green, & Co., London, Mabberley, D.J. 1987. The plant-book, 706 p. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Roosmalen, M.G.M. van. 1985. Fruits of the Guianan flora, 483 pp. Institute of Systematic Botany, Wageningen Agricultural University. Drukkerij Veenman B.V., Wageningen, and Spjut, R.W. 1994. A systematic treatment of fruit types. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 70:1–182.