Cryptosepalum

Taxonomy

Cryptosepalum G. Bentham In Bentham et J. D. Hooker, Gen. 1: 584. 19 Oct 1865.

Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 1.4.81.
Tribe: Detarieae.
Group: Brachystegia.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 7 studied; ca. 11 in genus.

Description

Fruit: A legume; unilocular; 2.5–7 cm long; 1.5–3 cm wide; 0.5–0.6 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; straight to curved; not plicate; not twisted; asymmetrical; oblong; not inflated; compressed; without beak; tapered at apex; oblique with longitudinal axis of fruit to right-angled 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; ligneous; seed chambers externally invisible; margin not constricted; margin without sulcus; margin embellished; margin with flange(s) (one on each valve, up to 2 mm wide); wing(s) absent; substipitate; with all layers dehiscing; splitting along suture(s). Dehiscence of valves along both sutures; active; with valves elastically and separately enrolling. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull to glossy; monochrome, or multicolored; mottled; brown to green; with green red overlay (brown); with surface texture uniform; glabrous; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; strongly to weakly obliquely veined; transversely veined relative to fruit length; not tuberculate; exfoliating (in larges pieces or as a whole); 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; tan; without adhering pieces of testa; subseptate to nonseptate; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; entire. Seed(s) 1–5; length oblique to fruit length to 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: 9–18 mm long; 6–11 mm wide; 3–4 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular; symmetrical; elliptic to ovate; 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; not modified by a bloom; colored; monochrome; dark brown; glabrous; not smooth; with elevated features; rugose (faces rugose and same color or smooth and darker colored and margins smooth and same color to lighter colored); coriaceous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines absent. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe not visible. Hilum present; fully concealed; concealed by funicular remnant; without faboid split; larger than punctiform; 0.1–2 mm long; with curved outline; circular; apical at apex of radicle tip to subapical to radicle tip; raised; not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens not discernible. Endosperm present; thin; not pluglike and not resembling tip of radicle; adnate to testa. 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, or not entire 180 degrees from base of radicle (slightly notched); similar at apex; partially concealing radicle (alomst all exposed or only tip exposed); notched at radicle; with the interface division terminating at base of radicle; without margins recessed; inner face flat; glabrous on inner face. Embryonic axis straight; parallel 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

Guineo-Congolian forests and south-central Africa.

Old World; South-central Africa (including Guineo-Congolian forests).

Generic Notes

Duvigneaud and Brenan (1966) revised the genus in the areas covered by "Flora of Tropical East Africa" and "Flora Zambesiaca".

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.