Mora

Taxonomy

Mora G. Bentham Trans. Linn. Soc. London 18: 210. t. 16–17. 7–30 Mai 1839.

Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae.
Phylogenetic Number: 1.1.42.
Tribe: Caesalpinieae.
Group: Dimorphandra.
Species Studied - Species in Genus: 4 studied; 6 in genus.

Description

Fruit: A legume; unilocular; 6–25 cm long; 4–13 cm wide; 3.5–8 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 to curved; not plicate; not twisted; asymmetrical; elliptic, or oblong; not inflated; compressed; without beak; long tapered at apex to tapered at apex; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; short tapered at base to rounded at base; aligned with longitudinal axis of fruit; with the apex and base uniform in texture; ligneous; seed chambers externally invisible to visible; margin not constricted; margin without sulcus; margin plain; wing(s) absent; stipitate to substipitate; with the stipe 0.6–10 mm long; with all layers dehiscing; splitting along suture(s). Dehiscence of valves along both sutures; active; with valves enrolling. 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; rugose and pusticulate; exfoliating in part; without cracks; without embedded tissue, much thicker than epicarp, running from base to apex. Mesocarp present; surface not veined; 1-layered, or 2-layered; without balsamic vesicles; with fibers; without reniform canals; solid; with fibers oblique over solid layer; ligneous. Endocarp present; visible; dull; opaque; monochrome; brown, or tan; without adhering pieces of testa; nonseptate; not exfoliating; remaining fused to mesocarp and epicarp; entire. Seed(s) 1–4; length parallel with fruit length, or transverse to fruit length; neither overlapping nor touching; in 1 series. Funiculus 0.1–0.4 mm long; of 1 length only; thick; straight. Aril absent.

Seed: 45–180 mm long; 50–148 mm wide; 20–76 mm thick; not overgrown; not angular; symmetrical, or asymmetrical; elliptic, or reniform; 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; nearly glossy; not modified by a bloom; colored; monochrome; black to brown (to dark brown); glabrous; not smooth; with elevated features; rugose; chartaceous (soon exfoliating). 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; 0.1–14 mm long; with curved outline; elliptic to circular; apical according to radicle tip but marginal according to seed length; flush (in base of depression), or recessed; not within corona, halo, or rim. Lens not discernible. Endosperm absent. Cotyledons not smooth; rugose; 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; entire over radicle; with lobes; with lobes not touching; without basal groin formed by lobes; with the interface division terminating at base of radicle; without margins recessed; creamy yellow (externally pale copper-color and pink in internal cavit, Corby, pers. comm., 2002); inner face concave; 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; linear to triangular; lobe tip straight; straight with embryonic axis; centered between cotyledons; less than 1/2 length of cotyledons. Plumule rudimentary to well developed; glabrous.

Distribution

West Indies and tropical South America (Mainly Amazonia).

New World; West Indies, Central America, and South America (mainly Amazonia); Brazil and Ecuador.
 

Generic Notes

Mora oleifera seeds are the largest (size or weight) legume seeds and one of the 10 largest seeds in the world. Corby (pers. comm., 2002) described the seed of M. oleifera as: Dimensions 17 X 14 X 7.5 cm, weight fresh 645 g and dry: 334 g, gross volume 709 cc, bulk desity 0.91 g/cm3, hence a drift seed, and axis well developed with projecting radicle and branching plumule growing. Corby (The Bean Bag, 1992, number 35, page 3) described the seed of M. megistosperma (H.F. Pittier) N.L. Britton & J.N. Rose as: Dimensions 17 X 14 X 7.5 cm, weight fresh 645 g and dry: 334 g, gross volume 710 cc, bouyancy cavity 190 cc, and axis, with well developed plumule growing into cavity, 9.5 cm long. Sandwith (1932) discussed the parameters of Mora and Dimorphandra (1.43), using seed morphology as a key character.