Gonocytisus

Taxonomy

Gonocytisus É. Spach Ann. Sci. Nat. Bot. ser. 3. 3: 153. Mar 1845.

Subfamily: Faboideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 3.30.20.
Tribe: Genisteae.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 2 studied; 3 in genus.

Description

Fruit: A legume; unilocular; 1.2–1.7 cm long; 0.45–0.6 cm wide; 0.075–0.18 cm thick; 2–9 times longer than wide; with deciduous androecial sheath; with deciduous corolla; with persistent calyx, or deciduous calyx; with calyx shorter than fruit; without orifice formed by curving of fruit or fruit segments; straight; not plicate; not twisted; asymmetrical, or symmetrical; oblong, or rhombic; with both sutures nearly straight; not inflated; compressed; without beak; short tapered at apex; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit, or oblique with longitudinal axis of fruit (slightly); short tapered at base; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit (slightly), or oblique with longitudinal axis of fruit; with the apex and base uniform in texture; ligneous; seed chambers externally visible; seed chambers with the raised seed chambers not torulose; 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; apical and down; passive. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull; monochrome; reddish brown; with surface texture uniform; pubescent and indurate; with hairs appressed; with 1 type of pubescence; with pubescence gray; with pubescence uniformly distributed; with simple hairs; pliable; with hair bases plain; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; with elevated features; veined; obliquely veined relative to fruit length; not tuberculate; faintly wrinkled; not exfoliating; without cracks; without embedded tissue, much thicker than epicarp, running from base to apex. Mesocarp present; thin; surface not veined; 1-layered; without balsamic vesicles; without fibers; without reniform canals; solid; (sub-) ligneous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; brown; smooth; without adhering pieces of testa; nonseptate; chartaceous; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; without wings; entire. Seed(s) 1–2; length parallel with fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus of 1 length only; filiform, or triangular; straight. Aril present; dry; when dry rim-aril; entire; tan.

Seed: 2.5–4 mm long; 2–3 mm wide; 1.7–2 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular, or angular; asymmetrical; oblong, or reniform, or circular (more or less); compressed; 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 present; without pieces of adhering epicarp; not adhering to endocarp; free from endocarp; glossy; not modified by a bloom; colored; monochrome; dark reddish brown, or black; glabrous; smooth; coriaceous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines absent. Rim present. Wing(s) absent. Raphe not visible. Hilum present; partially concealed, or fully concealed; concealed by aril, or funiculus; with faboid split; with the lips of the faboid split the same color as the rest of the hilum; punctiform; between cotyledon and radicle lobe; recessed; within rim, or not within corona, halo, or rim; rim color of testa. Lens discernible; with margins straight, or curved; more or less oblong; circular, or oblong (more or less); not in groove of raphe; adjacent to hilum; 0.5 mm from hilum; flush, or recessed; similar color as testa, or dissimilar color from testa; lighter than testa; tan; not within corona, halo, or rim. Endosperm present; thin; not pluglike and not resembling tip of radicle; covering entire embryo; 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; not concealing radicle; split over radicle; with lobes; with the interface division terminating at base of radicle; without margins recessed; reddish brown; inner face flat; glabrous on inner face. Embryonic axis deflexed; oblique to length of seed; with a joint evident between the radicle and the cotyledons. Radicle differentiated from cotyledon; bulbose; lobe tip straight; deflexed and parallel to cotyledon length; centered between cotyledons; less than 1/2 length of cotyledons. Plumule moderately developed; glabrous.

Distribution

Eastern Mediterranean.

Old World; southern Europe to Mediterranean (Mediterranean (eastern) to Africa (north) to).

Tribal Notes

Tribe Genisteae

Traditionally this tribe has been called Genisteae. Reveal (1997) reported that the name Cytiseae was published before the name Genisteae. Following the International <>Code of Botanical Nomenclature (Greuter et al., 1994), the oldest name for a taxon must be used, so Reveal suggested that this tribe should be called Cytiseae. In 1999 Reveal (1999) reversed himself, so that this tribe remains the Genisteae. Bisby (1981) summarized tribe Genisteae, following the excellent study by Polhill (1976). Bisby correctly noted that "many species have been moved from one genus to another several times and the Cytisus-Genista complex has gained a reputation as a critical group." He continued with an indepth analysis of the tribe. Polhill (1994a, 1994b) and Van Wyk and Schutte (1995a), using chemical and morphological characters, transferred five genera from Crotalarieae (27) to Genisteae: Anarthrophyllum (30.06), Argyrolobium (30.03), Dichilus (30.02), Melolobium, and Sellocharis (30.07). Cristofolini (1997) carried out a cladistic study of the tribe's biogeography, and discussed its early evolutionary history. López et al. (2000) studied the species of this tribe occurring in southwestern Spain and presented detailed descriptions for and a key to them.