Lophocarpinia

Taxonomy

Lophocarpinia A.E. Burkart Darwiniana 11: 256. 31 Mai 1957.

Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 1.1.26.
Tribe: Caesalpinieae.
Group: Caesalpinia.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 1 studied; 1 in genus.

Description

Fruit: A legume; unilocular; 3.5–5 cm long; 0.1–0.7 cm wide; 0.2–0.3 cm thick; length less than twice as long as width to 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; curved to 1-coiled; not plicate; not twisted; asymmetrical; linear moniliform; not inflated; compressed; without beak; long tapered at apex; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; tapered at base; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; with the apex and base uniform in texture; ligneous; seed chambers externally visible; margin constricted; margin constricted along both margins; margin with sulcus; margin embellished; margin with wing(s); wing(s) present (toothed); wing(s) 4; wing(s) 0.1–4 mm wide; wing(s) valvular; wing(s) on both valves (2 wings on each valve); substipitate; indehiscent. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull; multicolored; bichrome; seed chambers greenish tan and brown (to reddish brown wings with gray pubescence); with surface texture uniform; pubescent and indurate; with hairs erect; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; not veined; 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; without fibers; without reniform canals; solid; ligneous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; without adhering pieces of testa; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; entire. Seed(s) 1–5; length parallel with fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus 0.1–0.2 mm long; of 1 length only; filiform; straight. Aril absent.

Seed: 4–5 mm long; 1.5–2 mm wide; 1 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular; asymmetrical; C-shaped; 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; brown; glabrous; smooth; osseous. 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; punctiform; apical according to radicle tip but marginal according to seed length (?); recessed; not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens not discernible. Endosperm present; thick; not pluglike and not resembling tip of radicle. 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; entire over radicle (junction of cotyledons and radicle simple); 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

Argentina and Paraguay.

New World; South America (Argentina and Paraguay); Brazil and Argentina.

Generic Notes

Figure 2 in Burkart (1957) was the major source in creating the Lophocarpinia plate. Two Burkart collections (20.216 and 20.218 from Argentina) and a P. Arenas collection (1729, from Paraguay) also were studied.