Gilbertiodendron

Taxonomy

Gilbertiodendron J.J.G. Léonard Bull. Jard. Bot. État 22: 188. Jun 1952.

Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 1.4.68.
Tribe: Detarieae.
Group: Macrolobium.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 8 studied; 26 in genus.

Description

Fruit: A legume; unilocular; 10–30 cm long; 4–9 cm wide; 0.4–1.3 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 to oblanceolate; not inflated; compressed; without beak; tapered at apex; oblique with longitudinal axis of fruit; 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 plain; wing(s) absent; nonstipitate; 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; monochrome; reddish brown; with surface texture uniform; densely reddish velvety brown pubescent and indurate; with hairs erect; with simple hairs; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; veined; longitudinally veined relative to fruit length, obliquely veined relative to fruit length, and reticulately veined (either 1–3 prominent longitudinal veins with ot without 1 major branch and with obliquely reticulate veins or 1 longitudinal vein near ventral margin giving rise to numerous oblique reticulate veins); not tuberculate; 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; nonseptate; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; entire. Seed(s) 1–8; length transverse to fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus 0.1–0.19 mm long; of 1 length only; thick; nearly straight. Aril absent.

Seed: 20–50 mm long; 15–50 mm wide; 5–11 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular; symmetrical; nearly circular to oblong; 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; reddish to blackish brown; glabrous; not smooth; with elevated features; rugose; 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; 0.1–4 mm long; with curved outline; elliptic; apical at apex of radicle tip; recessed; 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; partially concealing radicle (only tip exposed); 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 to perpendicular to length of seed; without a joint evident between the radicle and the cotyledons. Radicle differentiated from cotyledon; centered between cotyledons. Plumule well developed; glabrous.

Distribution

Guineo-Congolian forests and Gulf of Guinea.

Old World; Africa (Guineo-Congolian forests and Gulf of Guinea).

Generic Notes

Aubr‚Ville (1970, figs. 46 and 47) depicted fruits of five species, four of which are not illustrated in this bulletin.

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.