Brodriguesia

Taxonomy

Brodriguesia R.S. Cowan Brittonia 33: 9. 15 Apr ('Jan-Mar') 1981.

Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 1.4.22.
Tribe: Detarieae.
Group: Hymenostegia.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 1 studied; 1 in genus.

Description

Fruit: A legume; unilocular; 13 cm long; 6.5 cm wide; 0.7–1.2 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; elliptic, or oblong; not inflated; flattened; without beak; tapered at apex; oblique with longitudinal axis of fruit; tapered at base; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; with the apex and base uniform in texture; ligneous; seed chambers externally invisible; margin not constricted; margin without sulcus; margin plain; wing(s) absent; substipitate; with all layers dehiscing; splitting along suture(s). Dehiscence of valves passive. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull; multicolored; mottled; reddish and yellowish brown; with surface texture uniform; glabrous; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; with elevated features; veined; transversely veined relative to fruit length; not tuberculate; 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; with fibers; without reniform canals; with fibers over solid layer; ligneous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; white; cobwebby ("white pubescent"); without adhering pieces of testa; nonseptate; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; entire. Seed(s) length transverse to fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus 0.1–2 mm long; of 1 length only; thick; straight. Aril present (dark reddish brown); fleshy; when fleshy marginal hilar; entire; covering less than 1/2 of seed.

Seed: 25–26 mm long; 18–19 mm wide; 8–9 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular; symmetrical; oblong; compressed; 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; black; glabrous; not smooth; with recessed features; minutely striate; osseous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines absent. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe not visible. Hilum present; fully concealed; concealed by probably funicular remnant; without faboid split; larger than punctiform; 0.1–7 mm long; with curved outline; elliptic; apical at apex of radicle tip; recessed; not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens not discernible. Endosperm absent. Cotyledons smooth; both outer faces flat; 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; entire over radicle; without lobes; with the interface division terminating at base of radicle; without margins recessed; tan; inner face flat; glabrous on inner face. Embryonic axis straight; perpendicular to length of seed; without a joint evident between the radicle and the cotyledons. Radicle differentiated from cotyledon; bulbose; lobe tip straight; perpendicular to cotyledons; centered between cotyledons; less than 1/2 length of cotyledons. Plumule rudimentary; glabrous.

Distribution

Brazil.

New World; South America (Brazil); Brazil.

Generic Notes

Only two seeds were studied and neither was dissected nor were micrographs of the testa made. Cowan (1981b) named this genus, and Lewis and Cowan (pers. commun., 1986) suggested that Brodriguesia be placed between Intsia (4.21) and Peltogyne (4.22), more closely related to Intsia than Peltogyne. Brodriguesia is in the Hymenostegia group (Lewis, pers. commun., 1988).

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.