Intsia

Taxonomy

Intsia L.M.A. du P. Thouars Gen. Nova Madag. 22. 17 Nov 1806.

Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 1.4.21.
Tribe: Detarieae.
Group: Hymenostegia.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 5 studied; ca. 3 in genus.

Description

Fruit: A legume; unilocular; 7–25 cm long; 3–8.5 cm wide; 0.8–1.3 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; symmetrical, or asymmetrical; linear to oblong; with 1 straight and 1 curved suture; widest near middle or D-shaped; not inflated; compressed; without beak; long tapered at apex to tapered at apex; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit to oblique with longitudinal axis of fruit; rounded at base; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit to right angled with longitudinal axis of fruit; with the apex and base uniform in texture; coriaceous; seed chambers externally visible; margin not constricted; margin without sulcus; margin embellished; margin with thickened sutural areas (usually ventral margin); wing(s) absent; substipitate; with all layers dehiscing; splitting along suture(s). Dehiscence of valves along both sutures. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull; monochrome; brown to black; with surface texture uniform; glabrous; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; with elevated features; veined; transversely 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; 1-layered; without balsamic vesicles; with fibers; without reniform canals; mealy; ligneous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; brown; scurfy; without adhering pieces of testa; subseptate; 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 0.1–6 mm long; of 1 length only; thick; straight. Aril absent (arillike funicular remnant in I. bijuga).

Seed: (15–)20–43 mm long; (10–)17–35 mm wide; 7–11 mm thick; not overgrown; angular, or not angular; symmetrical; elliptic to ovate, or oblong, or triangular to quadrangular; 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; dull; not modified by a bloom; colored; monochrome; black (with patches of reddish brown to yellow brown scurf from endocarp); glabrous; smooth; osseous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines absent. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe not visible. Hilum present; visible, or fully concealed; concealed by funicular remnant; without faboid split; larger than punctiform; 0.1–1.5 mm long; with straight outline; apical at apex of radicle tip; flush; not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens discernible, or not discernible; 2 mm long (180 degrees from hilum); with margins curved; circular; not in groove of raphe; mounded; same color as testa; not within corona, halo, or rim. 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; without a joint evident between the radicle and the cotyledons. Radicle differentiated from cotyledon; centered between cotyledons. Plumule rudimentary; glabrous.

Distribution

Tropical Asia, Indian Ocean coast and islands, Pacific basin.

Old World; Africa, Madagascar, Indian Ocean, India, Indochina, Indonesia and the Philippines, Australia, Pacific, and Fiji (basin).

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.