Brandzeia

Taxonomy

Brandzeia H.E. Baillon Adansonia 9: 217. Mar 1869.

Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 1.4.29.
Tribe: Detarieae.
Group: Crudia.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 1 studied; 1 in genus (Brandzeia filicifolia Baill.).

Description

Fruit: A legume; unilocular; 7–8.5 cm long; 2–2.7 cm wide; 0.2–0.3 cm thick; 2–9 times longer than wide; with deciduous androecial sheath; with deciduous corolla; with persistent calyx; with calyx shorter than fruit; without orifice formed by curving of fruit or fruit segments; straight; not plicate; not twisted; asymmetrical; samaroid; with 1 straight and 1 curved suture (ventral margin curved); widest at base; not inflated; flattened; without beak; tapered at apex; right-angled with longitudinal axis of fruit; ventral margin rounded at base; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit to right angled with longitudinal axis of fruit; with the apex and base uniform in texture; coriaceous; seed chambers externally visible; seed chambers with the raised seed chambers not torulose; margin not constricted; margin without sulcus; margin embellished; margin with wing(s); wing(s) present; wing(s) 1; wing(s) 20–25 mm wide; wing(s) samaroid; wing(s) basal; stipitate; with the stipe 5–10 mm long; indehiscent. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull; monochrome; tan; with surface texture uniform; glabrous; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; with elevated features; veined; longitudinally veined relative to fruit length; not tuberculate; pusticulate (with dark linear centers); not exfoliating; without cracks; without embedded tissue, much thicker than epicarp, running from base to apex. Mesocarp present; surface not veined; 2-layered; without balsamic vesicles; without fibers; without reniform canals; with lighter tan solid layer over solid layer; coriaceous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; white; without adhering pieces of testa; nonseptate; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; entire. Seed(s) 1; length oblique to fruit length. Funiculus 0.1–1 mm long; of 1 length only; flattened; straight. Aril absent.

Seed: 17–22 mm long; 9–11 mm wide; 3 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular; symmetrical; oblong; 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; dull; not modified by a bloom; colored; monochrome; dark reddish brown; glabrous; not smooth; with recessed features, or elevated features; reticulate; longitudinally striate; coriaceous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines absent. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe not visible. Hilum present; visible; without faboid split; larger than punctiform; 0.1–2 mm long; with curved outline; elliptic; subapical to radicle tip; flush; not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens not discernible. Endosperm absent. Cotyledons not smooth; ruminate; 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; partially concealing radicle (only tip exposed); split over radicle; with the interface division terminating at base of radicle; without margins recessed; 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; centered between cotyledons. Plumule rudimentary; glabrous.

Distribution

Generic Notes

Brandzeia was based on a mixture of Bathiaea E. Drake del Castillo and several species of Albizia (2.5.03) (Polhill and Raven, 1981, vol. 1; Du Puy et al., 2002). Du Puy et al. (2002) lectotypified the genus on the clearly identifiable portion with flowers which is congeneric with Bathiaea, therefore the two names are synonymous. Since Brandzeia is the older name, Bathiaea was synonymized under it. The genus remains monotypic, so Drake del Castillo's species, Bathiaea rubriflora E. Drake del Castillo, is a junior synonym of Brandezia filicifolia H.M. Baillon.

Tribal Notes

Tribe Detarieae

Bruneau et al. (2000) carried out extensive phylogenetic analyses of tribes Amherstieae and Detarieae. They concluded that they form a single monophyletic group. Therefore, they supported Polhill's (1995a, 1995b) decision to unite the two tribes.