Browneopsis

Taxonomy

Browneopsis J.E. Huber Bol. Mus. Paraense Hist. Nat. 4: 565. 1906.

Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 1.4.56.
Tribe: Detarieae.
Group: Brownea.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 1 studied; 6 in genus.

Description

Fruit: A legume; unilocular; 15–40 cm long (Klitgaard, 1991); 3–6 cm wide (Klitgaard, 1991); 0.3–0.5 cm thick; 2–9 times longer than wide; with deciduous androecial sheath; with deciduous corolla; with deciduous calyx; without orifice formed by curving of fruit or fruit segments; curved; not plicate; not twisted; symmetrical, or asymmetrical; falcate; with both sutures parallelly curved, or 1 straight and 1 curved suture; widest near apex; not inflated; compressed to flattened (Klitgaard, 1991); without beak; long tapered at apex; oblique with longitudinal axis of fruit; rounded at base; oblique 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 invisible; margin not constricted; margin without sulcus; margin embellished (Klitgaard, 1991); margin with thickened sutural areas (Klitgaard, 1991); wing(s) absent; stipitate; with the stipe 6–30 mm long; with all layers dehiscing; splitting along suture(s). Dehiscence of valves along both sutures; active; with valves breaking ("transversely cracking"). Replum invisible. Epicarp dull, or glossy (with age); monochrome; reddish brown; with surface texture uniform; densely velvety pubescent and indurate, or glabrous; with hairs erect; with 1 type of pubescence; velutinous (Klitgaard, 1991); with pubescence uniformly distributed; with simple hairs; pliable; with hair bases plain; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; with elevated features; veined; obliquely veined relative to fruit length; not tuberculate; 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; with fibers; without reniform canals; with fibers embedded in mealy tissue over solid layer; ligneous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; reddish brown; without adhering pieces of testa; subseptate; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; entire. Seed(s) 2–10 (Klitgaard, 1991); length transverse to fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus 0.1–1.5 mm long; of 1 length only; flattened; straight. Aril absent.

Seed: 20–40 mm long; 17–45 mm wide; 4–15 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular; symmetrical; circular, or ovate, or quadrangular; compressed to 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 brown; glabrous; not smooth; with elevated features; rugose; chartaceous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines absent. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe not visible. Hilum present; concealed by concealment not stated; without faboid split (assumed); larger than punctiform; 0.1–2 mm long; with curved outline; elliptic; apical at apex of radicle tip; raised; not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens not discernible. Endosperm absent.

Distribution

Panama and northwestern South America (Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru).

New World; Central America and South America (Panama and northwestern South America (Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru)); Peru, Brazil, and the Guianas.

Generic Notes

Pittier (1916) published a photograph of the legume and seeds of B. excelsa. The seed description and illustrations are based on Pittier's data and photograph. Klitgaard (1991) treated the Ecuadorian species of Brownea (1.4.55) and Browneopsis, and her species counts and distributions are used.

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.>