Goniorrhachis

Taxonomy

Goniorrhachis P.H.W. Taubert Flora 75: 77. 19 Jan 1892.

Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 1.4.37.
Tribe: Detarieae.
Group: Detarium.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 1 studied; 1 in genus.

Description

Fruit: A legume; unilocular; 6–10 cm long; 2–3 cm wide; 0.3–0.5 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; symmetrical, or asymmetrical; with partly 1 straight and 1 curved suture; widest near middle or D-shaped; not inflated; flattened; without beak; dorsal margin tapered at apex; oblique with longitudinal axis of fruit to right-angled with longitudinal axis of fruit; rounded at base; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; with the apex and base uniform in texture; ligneous; seed chambers externally visible; margin not constricted; margin without sulcus; margin plain; wing(s) absent; substipitate. Replum invisible. Epicarp nearly glossy; monochrome; brown; with surface texture uniform; pubescent and indurate; with hairs erect; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; with elevated features; veined; obliquely veined relative to fruit length; not tuberculate; not exfoliating; without cracks; without embedded tissue, much thicker than epicarp, running from base to apex. Mesocarp present; surface not veined; 2-layered; without balsamic vesicles; with fibers; without reniform canals; with fibers oblique embedded in mealy tissue over solid layer; ligneous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; tan; without adhering pieces of testa; nonseptate; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; entire. Seed(s) 1–5; length transverse to fruit length; touching, or neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus 0.1–1.5 mm long; of 1 length only; thick; straight. Aril absent.

Seed: 15–25 mm long; 15–20 mm wide; 3–4 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular; asymmetrical; D-shaped; 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; not modified by a bloom; colored; monochrome; brown; glabrous; not smooth; with elevated features; rugose (major and minor folds); 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; 0.1–2 mm long; with curved outline; elliptic; apical according to radicle tip but marginal according to seed length; raised; not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens not discernible. 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; perpendicular 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

Brazil.

New World; South America (Brazil); Brazil.

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.