Erythrophleum

Taxonomy

Erythrophleum A. Afzelius ex R. Brown In Denham et Clapperton, Narr. Travels Africa 235. 1826.

Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 1.1.38.
Tribe: Caesalpinieae.
Group: Dimorphandra.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 8 studied; 9 in genus.

Description

Fruit: A legume; unilocular; 5–20(–30) cm long; 2–5.5 cm wide; 0.4–1 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; nearly elliptic, or oblong; not inflated; flattened to compressed; without beak; long tapered at apex to tapered at apex; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; tapered at base to short tapered at base; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; with the apex and base uniform in texture; coriaceous, or chartaceous; seed chambers externally faintly visible; margin constricted, or not constricted; margin constricted along both margins to slightly constricted along both margins; margin without sulcus; margin plain; wing(s) absent; stipitate to substipitate; with the stipe 6–25 mm long; with all layers dehiscing; splitting along suture(s). Dehiscence of valves along both sutures; passive. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull; multicolored; mottled; brown; with black overlay; with surface texture uniform; glabrous, or pubescent and indurate; with hairs erect; with simple hairs (scattered); eglandular; without spines; not smooth; with elevated features; veined; reticulately veined; 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 to glossy; opaque; monochrome; reddish brown to tan, or gray; without adhering pieces of testa; nonseptate; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; entire. Seed(s) 1- 2–11; length transverse to fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus 0.1–9.7 mm long; of 1 length only; flattened to thick; curved, or plicate. Aril absent.

Seed: 8.5–23 mm long; 8–15(–20) mm wide; 1–8 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular; symmetrical; circular to oblong, or cordate; 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; glossy, or dull; not modified by a bloom; colored; monochrome; reddish brown; glabrous; smooth, or not smooth; with elevated features; pustulate; osseous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines present; reticulate. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe visible, or not visible. Hilum present; fully concealed; concealed by funicular remnant; without faboid split; larger than punctiform; 0.1–2 mm long; with curved outline; elliptic; apical at apex of radicle tip; flush; not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens discernible, or not discernible; 0.1–1 mm long; with margins curved; elliptic; not in groove of raphe; recessed; dissimilar color from testa; not within corona, halo, or rim. Endosperm present; thick to 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; similar at apex; partially concealing radicle (only basal margins concealed); with lobes; with lobes not touching; 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

Tropical Africa (Excluding the Horn), Madagascar, eastern Asia and Malaysia, Australia.

Old World; tropical Africa, Madagascar, Indochina, China, and Australia (Malaysia, excluding the Horn).

Generic Notes

Fruits are "Retained half-open on the tree without scattering the seeds" (Hutchinson and Dalziel, 1937).