Crudia

Taxonomy

Crudia J.C.D. von Schreber Nom. cons. Gen. 282. Apr 1789.

Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 1.4.25.
Tribe: Detarieae.
Group: Crudia.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 17 studied; ca. 55 in genus.

Description

Fruit: A legume; unilocular; 3–30 cm long; 1.5–8.5 cm wide; 1–2.5 cm thick; length less than twice as long as width to 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; asymmetrical; ovate, or elliptic, or oblong, or circular; not inflated; compressed to terete (subterete); without beak; tapered at apex; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit to oblique with longitudinal axis of fruit; short tapered at base to rounded at base; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; with the apex and base uniform in texture; coriaceous to ligneous; seed chambers externally visible; margin not constricted; margin without sulcus; margin plain; wing(s) absent; substipitate; tardily dehiscent or with all layers dehiscing; splitting along suture(s). Dehiscence of valves along both sutures (sometimes initially along the ventral margin); active; with valves separately enrolling. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull; monochrome; brown; with surface texture uniform; pubescent and indurate (velvety reddish brown); with hairs erect; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; with elevated features; veined; transversely 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; 1-layered; without balsamic vesicles; without fibers; without reniform canals; solid; ligneous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; brown to white; without adhering pieces of testa; nonseptate; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; entire. Seed(s) 1–5; length transverse to fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus 0.1–1 mm long; of 1 length only; flattened; straight. Aril absent.

Seed: 25–70 mm long; 22–60 mm wide; 5–30 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular; symmetrical; circular to oblong, or lanceolate, or irregular; 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; glossy to dull; not modified by a bloom; colored; monochrome; reddish brown; glabrous; smooth, or not smooth; with elevated features, or recessed features; rugose; pitted with small separate pits; chartaceous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines absent. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe visible, or not visible (when present extending from hilum to basal lens). Hilum present; fully concealed; concealed by funicular remnant; without faboid split; larger than punctiform; 0.1–4 mm long; with curved outline; elliptic to circular; apical according to radicle tip but marginal according to seed length; flush (?); not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens discernible, or not discernible; 0.1–5 mm long; with margins curved; elliptic; not in groove of raphe; mounded; similar color as testa; darker than testa; not within corona, halo, or rim. Endosperm absent. Cotyledons smooth; 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), or completely concealing radicle; notched at radicle and split over radicle, or notched at radicle (only); with the interface division terminating at base of radicle; without margins recessed; inner face concave; glabrous on inner face. Embryonic axis straight; parallel to length of seed to perpendicular to length of seed; without a joint evident between the radicle and the cotyledons. Radicle differentiated from cotyledon; centered between cotyledons. Plumule well developed; glabrous.

Distribution

Tropical America (Mainly Amazonia), Guineo-Congolian forest, Asia (mainly Malaysia), and New Guinea.

New World and Old World; tropical Central America, West Indies, and South America (mainly Amazonia); Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, and the Guianas; Africa, Indochina, Indonesia and the Philippines, and Australia (mainly Malaysia, and New Guinea).

Generic Notes

De Wit (1949-50) monographed the species in the Malay Archipelago south of the Philippines, and Amshoff (1953) monographed the South American species. Silva is studying the genus.

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.