Subfamily: Faboideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 3.4.15.
Tribe: Dalbergieae.
Group: Dalbergia.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 2 studied; 2 in genus.
Fruit: A legume, or a nutlet; unilocular; 1.7–4.5 cm long; 1.8–2.7 cm wide; 1–2.5 cm thick; length less than twice as long as width; 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; symmetrical, or asymmetrical; oblong, or circular; with both sutures parallelly curved; not inflated; terete; without beak; rounded at apex, or short tapered at apex; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; rounded at base; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; with the apex and base uniform in texture; drupaceous, or fleshy (when fresh), or ligneous (when dry); seed chambers externally invisible; margin not constricted; margin without sulcus; margin plain; substipitate, or nonstipitate; indehiscent. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull, or glossy; monochrome; brown (reddish), or tan; with surface texture uniform; glabrous, or glabrate, or pubescent and indurate; with hairs erect; with 1 type of pubescence; puberulent; with pubescence golden; with pubescence uniformly distributed; with simple hairs (straight); pliable; with hair bases plain; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; with elevated features; not veined; not tuberculate; wrinkled (faintly); not exfoliating; without cracks; without embedded tissue, much thicker than epicarp, running from base to apex. Mesocarp present; thick; surface not veined; 1-layered, or 2-layered; without balsamic vesicles; without fibers; without reniform canals; solid; ligneous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; tan; scurfy; without adhering pieces of testa; nonseptate; chartaceous; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; entire. Seed(s) 1, or 2; length parallel with fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus of 1 length only. Aril absent.
Seed: 14–25 mm long; 3–17 mm wide; 4–13 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular, or angular; asymmetrical, or symmetrical; ovate, or elliptic (to fusiform); terete; with surface smooth; with visible radicle and cotyledon lobes; without external groove between 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 absent, or present; without pieces of adhering epicarp; not adhering to endocarp; free from endocarp; dull; not modified by a bloom; colored; monochrome; brown (reddish); glabrous; not smooth; with elevated features; wrinkled; coriaceous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines absent. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe visible; from hilum to lens; bifurcating at base of seed with each arm going up antiraphe side turning (U-shaped) down and approaching bifurcation; darker than testa; brown (dark reddish- brown); recessed. Hilum present; fully concealed; concealed by funicular remnant; without faboid split; punctiform; subapical to radicle tip; raised; not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens not discernible. Endosperm absent. Cotyledons not smooth (wrinkled to clearly 2–4 transversely ribbed); 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, or not concealing radicle; split over radicle; with lobes; with lobes not touching; without basal groin formed by lobes; with the interface division terminating at base of radicle; without margins recessed; brown, or red; inner face flat; glabrous on inner face. Embryonic axis straight; oblique to length of seed; without a joint evident between the radicle and the cotyledons. Radicle differentiated from cotyledon; linear; straight with embryonic axis, or deflexed and parallel to cotyledon width; centered between cotyledons; less than 1/2 length of cotyledons. Plumule moderately developed; glabrous.
Tribe Dalbergieae
Lima (1989) analyzed the morphological characters of fruits, seeds and seedlings of the tribe and his characters and illustrations were used as a much appreciated source of accurate data. He also discussed the phylogeny of the tribe. Sousa and Sousa (1981) provided data to support their conclusion that the New World Lonchocarpinae be considered for tribal status: A segregate of the Dalbergieae. Hauman (1954) provided data on the Dalbergieae of Central Africa, and Lock (1989) listed the Dalbergieae for all of Africa. Thothathri (1986) reviewed the taxonomic status and systematic position of Asiatic Dalbergieae, and monographed tribe Dalbergieae for the Indian subcontinent (Thothathri, 1987). Morphological (Lima 1989) and molecular (Doyle et al. 1997) evidence has indicated that tribe Dalbergieae is polyphyletic.
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
