Microberlinia

Taxonomy

Microberlinia A.J.B. Chevalier Rev. Int. Bot. Appl. Agric. Trop. 26: 588. t. 21. 1946.

Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 1.4.59.
Tribe: Detarieae.
Group: Berlinia.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 2 studied; 2 in genus.

Description

Fruit: A legume; unilocular; 9–18 cm long; 3–5.5 cm wide; 0.5–0.8 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; slightly symmetrical, or asymmetrical; oblanceolate, or falcate (slightly); with both sutures parallelly curved; not inflated; flattened; without beak; tapered at apex; aligned 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 embellished; margin with thickened sutural areas, or wing(s) (sometimes); wing(s) absent, or present (in M. brazzevillensis); wing(s) ca. 2 mm wide; wing(s) valvular (ca. 5 mm below margin); substipitate to nonstipitate; with all layers dehiscing; splitting along suture(s). Dehiscence of valves along both sutures; apical and down; active; with valves separately enrolling. Replum invisible. Epicarp dull; monochrome; dark brown; with surface texture uniform; glabrous; eglandular; without spines; not smooth; with recessed features; veined; obliquely veined relative to fruit length (oblique veins arising from prominent lateral vein and running to ventral margin); not tuberculate; pitted; not exfoliating; with cracks; cracking transverse to fruit length; 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; dark brown; smooth (under seeds), or spongy (and tannish around seeds); without adhering pieces of testa; subseptate; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; entire. Seed(s) 1–4; length transverse to fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus 0.1–1 mm long; of 1 length only; thick; straight. Aril absent.

Seed: 18–20 mm long; 14–16 mm wide; 3–5 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular; symmetrical; ovate; 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; dull; not modified by a bloom; colored; monochrome, or mottled; dark brown (and becoming yellowish brown at margin or faintly flecked with yellowish brown); with brown overlay; glabrous; not smooth; with elevated features, or recessed features; faintly tuberculate (especially near the margin); pitted with small separate pits; osseous. Pleurogram absent. Pseudopleurogram absent. Fracture lines absent. Rim absent. Wing(s) absent. Raphe not visible. Hilum present; visible; without faboid split; larger than punctiform; 0.1–2 mm long; with curved outline; elliptic; subapical to radicle tip; flush; 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); 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; oblique 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

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.