Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 1.4.66.
Tribe: Detarieae.
Group: Berlinia.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 8 studied; 13 in genus.
Fruit: A legume; unilocular; 5.5–25 cm long; 2–6 cm wide; 0.4–0.8 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; symmetrical, or asymmetrical; lanceolate, or oblong to oblanceolate, or falcate; with both sutures parallelly curved, or 1 straight and 1 curved suture; widest near apex; not inflated; compressed; without beak; long tapered at apex to tapered at apex; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; straight or rounded at base; 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) (1 on each valve and up to 6 mm wide); wing(s) absent; stipitate to nonstipitate; with the stipe 6–15 mm long; 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 (or nearly so); monochrome; brown; with surface texture uniform; densely velvety reddish brown pubescent and indurate, or glabrous; with hairs erect; with simple hairs; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; with elevated features; veined; transversely veined relative to fruit length; not tuberculate; exfoliating to 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; without adhering pieces of testa; subseptate; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; entire. Seed(s) 2–7 (clustered near the fruit apex if 2 to 3); 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: 20–40 mm long; 15–34 mm wide; 4–15 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular; symmetrical, or asymmetrical; nearly circular to oblong, 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; dull; not modified by a bloom; colored; monochrome; 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; fully concealed; concealed by funicular remnant; without faboid split; larger than punctiform; 0.1–4 mm long; with curved outline; elliptic; apical at apex of radicle tip; raised; not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens not discernible. 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; completely concealing radicle; notched at radicle and 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.
Authors: J.H. Kirkbride, Jr., C.R. Gunn, A.L. Weitzman, M.J. Dallwitz, K.R. Thiele
Content last updated April 2003
Released April 2024 on idtools.org
