Daniellia

Taxonomy

Daniellia J.J. Bennett Pharm. J. Trans. 14: 252. Dec 1854.

Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 1.4.19.
Tribe: Detarieae.
Group: Hymenostegia.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 6 studied; 9 in genus.

Description

Fruit: A legume; unilocular; 4–12 cm long; 2–6 cm wide; 0.4–0.7 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; not plicate; not twisted; asymmetrical; with nearly 1 straight and 1 curved suture; widest near middle or D-shaped, or widest near apex (stated as "oblong"); not inflated; flattened; without beak; long tapered at apex to tapered at apex; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit to right-angled with longitudinal axis of fruit; tapered at base to rounded at base; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit to oblique with longitudinal axis of fruit; with the apex and base uniform in texture; coriaceous to ligneous (or nearly so); 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 along both sutures; passive (seed remaining with one valve excluding endocarp and falling as a unit). Replum invisible. Epicarp nearly glossy; monochrome; tannish brown; with surface texture uniform; glabrous; eglandular; without spines; smooth; not veined; not tuberculate; not exfoliating; without cracks; without embedded tissue, much thicker than epicarp, running from base to apex. Mesocarp absent. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; tannish brown to white; without adhering pieces of testa; curling up at apex and separating from 1 epicarp, nonseptate; not exfoliating; entire. Seed(s) 1 (apical); length parallel with fruit length. Funiculus 0.1–20 mm long; of 1 length only; flattened; curved to plicate (once). Aril absent (arillike funicular remnant present).

Seed: 20–55 mm long; 13–20 mm wide; 2–7 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular; symmetrical; elliptic to 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; blackish brown; glabrous; smooth; osseous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines present; not stated. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe not visible. Hilum present; fully concealed; concealed by funicular remnant; without faboid split; larger than punctiform; 0.1–1.5 mm long; with curved outline; elliptic; apical at apex of radicle tip to subapical to radicle tip; raised; not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens not discernible. Endosperm present (trace); trace; not pluglike and not resembling tip of radicle; restricted to region of embryo (around cotyledon split and radicle tip). 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; completely concealing radicle; 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; 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 forest, Sudan, Zambezi.

Old World; Africa (Guineo-Congolian forest, Sudan, Zambezi).

Generic Notes

The seeds of Daniellia appear to be arillate (Léonard et al., 1952). They are not. What appears to be an aril is a flattened funicular remnant--the same type that is found along the ventral suture.

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.